Interview by Zoë Brigley That’s how a lot of my poems start really, a flimsy reference or a bad joke Noontime Newtown Easy girl easy the harbourmaster told me like he thought I was his horse or stoppable what are you doing running in this heat why’ve you come this way at such low tide…
Charlie Baylis: How I Wrote ‘i’m still looking for the perfect lover’
Interview by George Sandifer-Smith Some people like to articulate why things are good or bad, but I don’t think it is as fun as writing or reading poetry, so I’ll leave that to people with grand ideas/ more time/ on their / hands i’m still looking for the perfect lover for julia it’s like when…
Cheryl Moskowitz: How I Wrote ‘This Pot of Earth’
Interview by Zoë Brigley Nearly all my poems begin as scrawled notes in a notebook, often so messy I can barely read my own writing. This Pot of Earth I do not know why I keep watering this pot of earth with no bloom, except that nothing that thirsts should be left to go dry….
Owen Sheers: How I Wrote ‘The Farrier’
“When you start writing a poem you have to be prepared to walk boldly into failure.“ Content warning: mention of domestic abuse The Farrier Blessing himself with his apron, the leather black and tan of a rain-beaten bay, he pinches a roll-up to his lips and waits for the mare to be led from the…
Steve Griffiths : How I Wrote ‘We need a definite programme’
Interview by Zoë Brigley [W]ith every first draft, there are things that need sharpening and shaping, and things that will not fly, and their removal improves it We need a definite programme Small birds from several continents sing beneath a high safety net. Soon we must make a move. We need a house, a child,…
Katy Evans-Bush : How I Wrote ‘From Lines by Kenneth Patchen #13’
Interview by Zoë Brigley I write largely by ear. In my teens I was obsessed with Mozart, and folk music… and I’m absolutely sure that both of these taught me about pacing and register and the tonal possibilities of form. From Lines by Kenneth Patchen #13 It wasn’t much of a summer. You could as…
Wales Poetry Award 2022 sponsored by Literature Wales | Judged by Gwyneth Lewis
Wales Poetry Award, a national competition to discover the very best international contemporary poetry Update 15.05.2023: Winners Announced! Wales Poetry Award 2022 closed for entries in January 2023, and the shortlist and winners were announced in May 2023 Wales Poetry Award 2023 will be open for submissions in September 2023, exact dates TBC. Follow our…
After Dickinson and Disability
Poetry Wales are delighted to announce an online panel at the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival To celebrate the launch of our disability-themed Summer 2022 issue, Poetry Wales Editor Zoë Brigley hosts a panel of poets from the issue alongside Dickinson critic Michael Davidson. While some readings of Dickinson’s poetics focus negatively on her potential…
Jane Burn: How I Wrote ‘Translation / Acts’
An essay by Jane Burn “Choosing the form for a poem is a process built from endless negotiations” Note: Due to the formatting style of this poem, we have had to embed it as an image rather than as text as we usually do. To read a plain text version, please see this file: On…