A poem to celebrate the Welsh national football team’s achievement in reaching their first World Cup Finals since 1958 The Moon is not a Dream Anymore (Inspired by Wales v Ukraine, 5th June 2022, FIFA World Cup Play-off Final) The last time we were there Pelѐ had the world at his feet and man had not…
Interview by Zoë Brigley There are many poems concerned with other breath related topics from different cultures and geographies. This is one such. Hair’s breadth I The child watches a pair of hares chase around the paddock by the holiday cottage. Rime has whitened grass and gorse in every field from there to the edge…
Interview by Zoë Brigley I think I write poetry by ear too, writing and rewriting lines repeatedly until they sound ‘right’ when I read them aloud Mother and Child Josef Herman, oil on canvas, c. 1945–50 Unhappy days for you, now, are few – yet this dull lunchtime seems to hang. On your iPad, you…
Photo credit: Adrian Bullers | Interview by Zoë Brigley The Roman poet Horace was right to recommend holding back your work for several years before publishing it. You get a better sense of its value… Sea Urchins Cape Ann, Massachusetts We have trampled those delicate eggs of the night, the sea urchins, fragments of a…
To celebrate the publication of Spring 2022 Vol 57 No 3 (and after the success of our Earth Day launch), we are hosting two more launches featuring readings and conversations with poets featured in the issue. Both events will be held on Zoom and tickets are free and available below All of our Zoom events…
Poetry Wales is delighted to announce the appointment of our new Reviews Editor, George Sandifer-Smith. By way of introduction, George explains the process behind writing his poem ‘Sandwich inspector’ as well as his hopes and plans for reviews… Sandwich inspector Lunchtime is vital. Waft of delivered bread slowing into crouton fodder two aisles away as…
This Friday, Poetry Wales is holding a special Zoom event for Earth Day to launch issue 57.3. The front cover is by environmental artist Barry Underwood and the issue features new writing about nature, the more-than-human, and environmental crisis. Readers will include: John Barnie Alexandra Corrin-Tachibana Graham Hartil Lynne Hjelmgaard Jane Houston Mike Jenkins Joshua Jones Jennifer Militello…
Sponsored by Literature Wales If you weren’t able to make the live Zoom of our Wales Poetry Award 2021 Prizegiving, you can now watch a subtitled recording via our YouTube channel to hear all thirteen shortlisted poems read by their writers (and one by our editor Zoë Brigley, who stepped in for a poet on…
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…
