poetry
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It was a week for anthologies last week, what with the Forward book arriving in the post and the launch of The Golden Hour Book Vol ii at Blackwell’s on South Bridge (the old James Thin shop, for those who remember that much-lamented Edinburgh institution of yore). The GH book is a triumph, I have to…
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Yesterday, my copy of The Forward Book of Poetry 2010 arrived through the post. And a lovely job they’ve done of it too. The cover design is strong, elegant, and simple; the book is pleasantly thick and chunky in the hand. Indeed, the back cover proclaims it “the biggest yet” of the Forward books, with…
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My workshop at the 2nd Annual Merchant City Festival Writing, Literature and Cultural Conference* is set for 2:15 pm. Details are below; you can view the full programme at the link above. 2:15pm – 3:30pm, Fressh Cafe and Coffee Shop Cooking in the kitchen: ANDREW PHILIP, author of the collection The Ambulance Box, Highly Commended by…
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On Friday 25th, I’ll be back at Blackwell’s to read at the launch of The Golden Hour Book ii, an anthology of poetry, prose and music (it comes with a CD) by writers and musicians who have appeared at the eponymous literary cabaret, held in The Forest Cafe. It should be a good evening. The…
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Lullaby this is the arm that held you this is the hand that cradled your cold feet these are the ears that heard you whimper and cough throughout your brush with light this is the chest that warmed you these are the eyes that caught your glimpse of life this is the man you fathered…
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Just received my contributor’s copies of Poetry Scotland issue 62. “All New Scottish” consists entirely of work by writers from Scotland who haven’t featured in the magazine before. I have two poems in there: “MacAdam’s Lament for Island Life” and “Onding”. Hard to believe, perhaps, that I’ve never been in PS, but I’d just never…
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Blackwell’s on Thursday was a good night. A really varied bunch of perfomers — poetry, fiction, non-fiction and folk music — in a great venue, despite the traffic noise. It was a good audience, too. Heartening to see a mix of kent faces and new. Good on the bookshop for putting on such a good…
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I’ll be interviewing another Shearsman poet, Claire Crowther, here on Friday 31 July. The following poem comes from her marvellous new collection The Clockwork Gift. Open Plan They took the walls away without warning.The roof floated, a miraculous over of shelter.We were caught out. We cooled quickly. A sty? My hands made paws? My lover…
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Siriol Troup’s Beneath the Rime, her second full collection of poetry, was published earlier this year by the wonderful Shearsman Press. I first met Siriol when we read together at StAnza 2006, along with Richard Price, and was only too pleased when asked to take part in her virtual book tour. Andrew Philip: It’s a…
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I’ll be interviewing the poet Siriol Troup here on Tonguefire on Friday, 24 July. The following poem comes from her new collection, Beneath the Rime. Nox Elephantorum– Elephant Night at the Coliseum Climb the railings by moonlight – you’ll find uson our knees in the ring, turning tricksunder the sky’s black awning. Such eloquentdesolation: the…
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Just finished reading Shira Wolosky’s The Art of Poetry: How to Read a Poem, which I borrowed from the Scottish Poetry Library. Good book, I thought; one I’d certainly recommend as a general overview of poetic form and rhetoric. I might well buy a copy for reference. Only once or twice did really think she’d…
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This week, Carol Ann Duffy launched her new poetry prize: the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry for the most exciting contribution to poetry in that year. It’s a generous gesture from the new laureate, though questions have been asked about whether we need another poetry award. The test will be the shortlists:…
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My Cyclone virtual book tour skips over the Atlantic today to stop in Ojai, California at poet Robert Peake’s blog. Thanks to the wonders of Skype and Robert’s technical know-how, you can see and hear us discuss the surprises of publication; language; the music of poetry; the importance of the page; and grief and hope.…
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My choice of classic poem has just gone up on the Scottish Poetry Library’s Reading Room site. Click here to read my thoughts on Henry Vaughan’s “The Night”. Don’t omit to browse the growing wealth of previous choices too.
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A wee while back, I speculated about the preception and truth of poetry sales. This was before the BBC’s admirable poetry season and Salt‘s cash crisis. Now, today, courtesy of Matt Merritt, I found this article on the effect the Beeb’s tranche of programmes has had on poetry sales. Or, to be more precise, the…
Amy Jo Philip 