The Friday Poem

A poem every Friday

In Conversation

A photograph of a bearded man with wild greying hair. The words 'LIFE'S ALWAYS BEEN A BATTLE BETWEEN DEAD POETS AND LIVING' are superimposed in white text.

Making sense of an often-meaningless world

Bruno Cooke talks to Darby Hudson, the bearded Australian poet in the cuddly jumper
Ryan Van Winkle standing in front of a stone wall. He has glasses and a grey jacket.

In Conversation with Ryan Van Winkle

We talk to Ryan Van Winkle, the new Artistic Director for StAnza
Painting of Wallace Stevens. He is wearing a tweed suit and looking stern.

Letters on the Centenary of Harmonium

Paul Stephenson and Lisa Kelly exchange letters on the poetry of Wallace Stevens
Photo of Jackie Wills. She has long brown hair with flecks of grey, and red lipstick.

The cutty’s goistering

The Friday Poem talks to poet and gardener Jackie Wills
Photo of Aaron Kent. He has brown hair and a beard.

Unicorn flavour

We talk to Aaron Kent, poet, editor, and publisher of Broken Sleep Books
Photo of Kim Moore with a purple track suit style top. She has red hair and she is leaning against a tree.

Poetry and Everyday Sexism

We talk to Kim Moore about her recent Forward prize-winning poetry collection and her new collection of lyric essays
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
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
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
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
Black and white composite image of Zoë Brigley and Rhian Edwards.

We punch above our weight and compete with the big five

The Friday Poem talks to Zoë Brigley and Rhian Edwards, the new Poetry Editors at Seren Books
Line drawing of a lily on a pink background

Gathering flowers

In Conversation: The Friday Poem talks to Kathryn Gray and Andrew Neilson, founders and editors of digital poetry journal Bad Lilies