Features

Christmas Quiz Answers

“She was wearing the coral taffeta trousers” from ‘Full Moon’ by Vita Sackville-West ‘White Asparagus’ by Sujata Bhatt “Rockall. Malin.

A collection of six images showing a snowflake, a Christmas tree, a turkey, a close up of a hand removing a decoration from a tree, a black Santa and a toy train set.

Six Christmas Poems

Christmas poems by Louis MacNeice, e.e. cummings, Benjamin Zephaniah, James Arthur, Allison Joseph and Jane Kenyon

Unsplash images from Darius Cotoi, edik niko, Suzy Brooks and Zachary Delorenzo

Photograph showing various poetry book and pamphlet covers, all brightly coloured, or with interesting attractive designs.

Judging a book by its cover

Friday Poem eds Hilary Menos and Andy Brodie bemoan dull covers and make a plea for brightness, legibility and a bit of funky design

Photo of Samuel Tongue. He is wearing a blue shirt and has short brown hair. He is smiling and standing in front of a green hedge.

Castaway Companions

Castaway poet Samuel Tongue chooses poems by Gillian Clarke, Dylan Thomas and Alexander Hutchison for his desert island stay

Photo by Alan McRedie

Close up of Mike Bartholomew-Biggs' smiling face. He has light coloured hair, a greying small beard and glasses.

We certainly like our poets to be challenging in what they say but perhaps less so in how they say it!

We talk to Mike Bartholomew-Biggs from London Grip about managing poetry reviews, London Grip New Poetry, the re-launch of Poetry in the Crypt, and the joy of maths

Photograph of a wartime Pillbox bunker on a beach.

Hunker

Following on from Steven Lovatt's evisceration of 'heft' and Chris Edgoose's denunciation of 'palimpsest', Jane Routh takes on ‘hunker'

Photo by Mathias Reding

Photo of John Glenday sitting outside in front of a bridge. He is wearing a blue shirt and has a short grey beard and greying hair.

We can never be passengers any more

Alan Buckley gives us his close reading of the poem 'The Walkers' by John Glenday

Black and white portrait photograph of Roger Elkin somehow looking both serious and impish.

The Right Questions

Will Daunt looks at the work of Roger Elkin and the critical relevance of his latest project The F Word

A round yellow ball with two eyes and a big smile.

This barter of enthusiasm 3

Mike Barlow, Helena Nelson and Martin Figura choose favourite funny-serious poems by e. e. cummings, Mark Halliday and Peter Howard

Smiley yellow ball photograph by Chaitanya Pillala on Unsplash

Ink stencil style picture of a cat (the Mariscat cat) on a cream watercolour background.

Vivat Mariscat

The Friday Poem talks to Hamish Whyte of Mariscat Press

Head and shoulders photo of Rachael. She has short brown hair and glasses. She has her baby daughter in a sling across her chest.

Castaway Companions

Castaway poet Rachael Matthews choses poems by Jennifer L Knox, Adrienne Rich, and Kathleen Jamie for her desert island stay

Paul Muldoon standing in front of a grey wall looking 'ard. He has grey curly hair and glasses, and he is wearing a brown tweed jacket and tie and a dark shirt.

With a pink and a pink and a pinkie-pick

Unpack a Poem: Steven Lovatt on 'The Loaf' by Paul Muldoon