Features

A photograph of Phillip Gross. He is looking quizzical and has grey hair and a beard.

The difficult visiting times

Philip Gross discusses writing poetry about his family in The Wasting Game and Deep Field, the importance of self-knowledge, and what makes a 'good' poem

A photograph of Mercy and Jordan in Kampala. They are smiling.

Poetry in Uganda

Rowan Bell visits Kampala and meets Mercy Geno Apachi, performance poet, and Jordan Megolonyo, founder of the Klan poetry house

Black and white photograph showing a poet sitting outside at a tiny table with a typewriter. There is a handwritten sign saying "Poet for hire, pay what you like".

26 things you only know if you’re a poet

by Tim Relf

A black and white photograph of a woman's face; she is smiling.

This barter of enthusiasm 4

Mat Riches, Jane Routh and Alan Buckley choose favourite funny-serious poems by Matthew Sweeney, Michael McCarthy and Kathryn Maris

Poetry books on a bookshelf, at least forty of them. I am not going to list them all here, but many appear in the article.

What’s on Maria Taylor’s bookshelf?

British Cypriot poet and reviewer Maria Taylor tells us which books have been important to her in her life and in her poetry

Natalie Shaw, wearing glasses and standing in front of a green wall with a framed painting on it.

Down in the soily waters

Natalie Shaw gives us a close reading of the poem 'Maybe; maybe not' by Denise Riley

Painting showing a woman sitting at a table with a red and white check tablecloth, she is drinking coffee and a small brown dachshund has its paws on the table next to her.

Pierre Bonnard and the art of writing poetry

Rowan Bell on impressionist Pierre Bonnard and the art of writing poetry

Photo of Kathy Pimlott. She has short grey hair, glasses and is holding a glass of wine. She is wearing ablue polo necked jumper and a necklace of orange wooden beads. Photo by Matthew Paul.

Castaway Companions

Castaway Kathy Pimlott choses poems by Roger McGough, John Keats and Mimi Khalvati for her desert island stay

Photo by Matthew Paul

Black and white photo of Chris Hamilton-Emery. He is outside with sea in the background and is wearing a newsboy hat, tinted glasses and a neckerchief.

We have to find the right authors and the right commercial strategy to recover. It may take us five years

The Frip talks to Chris Hamilton-Emery, poet and director of Salt Publishing

Twenty four Quotes About Poetry: Who Said What?

Grab a cuppa and have a go at our Twenty Quotes About Poetry Quiz — Who Said What?

A composite image made of six images, comprising a man looking at distant fireworks, a ticking bomb, a candle, some cows in a field, some burning paper and a pair of moccasins.I know right. You'll have to read the article to find out.

Help the next person find their way through the dark

We have picked six New Year's poems with a difference to help you navigate the end of one year and the beginning of the next

A collage showing a rocky landscape next to the sea with various objects superimposed, more information is in the screen-reader text on our Christmas Quiz page

The Friday Poem Christmas Quiz

Try your hand at the Friday Poem 2022 Christmas Quiz