Amy Jo Philip

  • Here’s just one book I’d recommend for holiday reading. It wasn’t really a holiday, of course. I was in Michigan working, and this wasn’t the book I’d taken with me to read, though I always do take a book of poetry with me when I travel. Poems don’t weigh much, and most collections can be

    Read more →

  • The recent poetry book I’d recommend most heartily is Grace by Esther Morgan (Bloodaxe, 2011) It is an utterly absorbing collection full of writing of mesmeric quality which draws the reader in to a world of quiet attentiveness and grounded intensity. An older anthology I’d also recommend very much is Emergency Kit (Faber & Faber,

    Read more →

  • A quick heads-up about two readings coming very soon. First, on Wednesday evening this week (3 July), I’m reading alongside Janette Ayachi, Vahni Capildeo and Rob A Mackenzie at the Yellow Bench Cafe in Leith, Edinburgh at 7:30 pm. In addition, the marvellous Ira Lightman will perform two mini-sets. Five entirely distinctive voices in what

    Read more →

  • If I was to have a holiday, which is always my intention but I never seem to get around to it, I would take my usual six pack of books. They are made up of one novel, one biography/autobiography, one classic and three books of poetry. I will quickly run through my non-poetry books: The

    Read more →

  • It’s that time of the year again when the newspapers start bringing out their holiday reading recommendations and ignoring poetry even more than usual. Don’t believe me? Then look at The Guardian‘s list, which is split into sections this year: fiction, crime and non-fiction. To be frank, I’m fed up with this. So I’m reviving

    Read more →

  •  A huge thankyou to everyone who came to the Linlithgow launch of The North End of the Possible last night. It was a great turnout and, from my and Holm’s point of view, an enormous success. Here are a few photos of the evening, courtesy of my good friend Thomas Ritchie: Stewart, Frank and I

    Read more →

  • In the Huff

    Thanks to Robert Peake, I’m in the Huff again. That is, his interview with me and Rob A Mackenzie is now available in the culture section of the Huffington Post’s UK edition. I am hugely grateful to Robert for taking the time to ask us some penetrating and stimulating questions. In other news, I’ll be

    Read more →

  • Holm Coming

    This morning was spent planning my sets for the Linlithgow launch of The North End of the Possible on Saturday this week. I’m excited about this event, because it’s not only a chance to give an extended reading from the book but to work with the violin and electric guitar duo Holm. It’s not just

    Read more →

  • Diary permitting, I’m going to be participating in the rather exciting developments that Robert Peake has just announced in his post: Transatlantic Poetry Readings On Air. Watch this space — and that — for more info!

    Read more →

  • Scotshot

    I got sight last night of the edition of The Scotsman containing “Bereavement fir Dummies”, thanks to friends who bought it for us while we were away at a wedding a week past Saturday. (Cheers, Judy and Paul!) I still haven’t been able to find it in the online version of the paper, despite just

    Read more →

  • A quick reminder that I’m reading tonight at 7:30pm at the CCA in Glasgow alongside Máire Wren, Colette Ní Ghallchoír and Aonghas MacNeacail as part of an Irish Pages event in association with Conradh na Gaeilge Glaschú. It’s also the Scottish launch of our current tenth-anniversary issue, “Self”, which will be on sale alongside another

    Read more →

  • Hidden Door has a new blog and I am honoured to feature as its second artist of the week, with an interview and a poem from The North End of the Possible. The blog is a space to watch, as there are exciting plans for a new HD festival afoot.

    Read more →

  • “Bereavement fir Dummies”, a Scots poem from The North End of the Possible, is poem of the week today in The Scotsman. It doesn’t seem to be online, otherwise I would link to it, but I might post a pic of the poem in the paper once I have my mits on a copy.

    Read more →

  • I have three readings coming up in the next several weeks. The first, on Saturday 15 June at 7:30 pm in the CCA in Glasgow is an event from Irish Pages and Conradh na Gaeilge Glaschú as part of Glasgow’s Irish Language Festival, Féile na Gaeilge Glaschú 2013. I will be chairing and reading at this event,

    Read more →

  • The wonderful Michelle McGrane has featured several poems from The North End of the Possible on her blog, Peony Moon. Michelle is a heroine of the poetry blogosphere, quietly supporting poet after poet after poet with her site. Make sure you linger in her virtual salon and sample some of the other work she has

    Read more →