Interview by Zoë Brigley So the first few stanzas grew to a joyous Hallelujah, a dramatic climax describing the breach. And then things went horribly wrong. To a Humpback Whale Húsavík, Iceland) After Cal Freeman Dear blubber, glorious obesity, your tubercles like hairy warts. Dear blur on the sea’s surface and downward curve of your…
Author: Frances Turpin
Frances is Poetry Wales' Magazine Manager
Dr Rhea Seren Phillips: How I Wrote ‘The Book of Plants and Insults’
Interview by Zoë Brigley “I take the position of observer, and my creative practise then unleashes an energy which has its own personality. I wouldn’t trust it with a butter knife, let alone anything else“ The Book of Plants and Insults Abide tranquillity, boy. Must not seize coiling phlox to classify Πανδώρα. chocolate-eyed merch dives…
Submissions FAQ
Frequently asked questions about our submissions process. If your question is not answered on this page, please feel free to email us at info@poetrywales.co.uk Do you accept submissions? Yes, but only during certain times of the year, when our submissions window is open. You can find out about our latest call for submissions on our…
Kate North: How I Wrote ‘Blood-Children-Prayer’
Interview by Zoë Brigley Upon reflection, I took [inspiration for a verse] from one of those sonic memories that we all have buried deep in our neurological pathways. I think I use them a lot in my writing. Blood-Children-Prayer I remember the day our whole house came on its period, including the men who were…
In Memory of Ruth Bidgood, 1922-2022
Photo Credit: Bernard Mitchell In the wake of the recent passing of one of Wales’ finest poets, her friend and fellow poet Merryn Williams shares some words about Ruth Bidgood It was on a rainy day in the Black Mountains, looking for something to read, that I picked up a battered copy of Ruth Bidgood’s…
EXTRACT FROM: ‘How Being a Girl Poet Saved My Life’ by Jenny Mitchell
Update May 2022: You can now read this article in its entirety via our digital partner Exact Editions’ Feminism and Gender Equality resource here In honour of International Women’s Day on 8th March 2022, we are releasing an extract from Jenny Mitchell’s article ‘How Being a Girl Poet Saved My Life’, the full version of…
Wales Poetry Award 2021: Winners Announced
We are delighted to announce the final placements of the Wales Poetry Award 2021, judged by Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch and sponsored by Literature Wales. The first, second and third award winners will all be published in a future issue of Poetry Wales, as well as receiving cash prizes and Seren book bundles. You can read all…
Kandace Siobhan Walker: How I wrote ’16 The Academy’
Interviewed by Zoe Brigley Every year I try to write a sonnet, and every year I succeed at writing something else. 16 The Academy Capitalism is natural—healthy, actually. We had too many rainforests, we needed more upmarket cafés. We needed austerities like food deserts and mandatory minimums, retirement ages vanishing behind the Earth’s curvature. What…
Wales Poetry Award 2021: The Shortlist
We are delighted to announce the Wales Poetry Award 2021 shortlist. Wales Poetry Award 2021 was sponsored by Literature Wales and judged by Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch. Download the shortlist PDF below. The Shortlist In alphabetical order of poet: Tess Biddington A Father Hanged for Poaching Robert Bodman Outsider Miles Bradley Single Man with Dog Faith MW…