Dedicated publisher of fiction, poetry and memoir
It's Australian Open time, and Don's cat Priscilla is ready for action. She's honing her skills so that she'll be fit to take part over Zoom should the opportunity arise. If she's not too busy fitting her head into a piece of toast, that is! If you enjoy Don's unique blend of Flippant, Comic, and... Continue Reading →
Today is a public holiday in Slovenia, in celebration of the National Poet, France Prešeren. A public holiday in honour of a poet: how wonderful! I wanted to be the first to wish you 'Happy Prešeren Day!' and tell you a bit more about the poet's life and works. France Prešeren Prešeren was born in... Continue Reading →
It is almost one whole year since the pandemic started to take hold worldwide, and since we entered our first lockdown. How the world has changed since those early days! I wrote a tweet about it a few days back: 'does anyone remember how strange it felt the first time you went out wearing a... Continue Reading →
As we settle down into our routine in the Summer Palace of the Southlands, I find that my biggest daily challenge comes from the overbearing presence of the King's Mother. To understand fully my frustrations, you must first understand that the King and I are joint Regents of this Kingdom: I from the North and... Continue Reading →
This week, I have freed myself from the restraints of the tanka format and tried to follow where inspiration took me. Inspiration being something that comes and goes, perhaps some of these short poems are more inspired than others. I offer them up for your consideration, do let me know if you have a particular... Continue Reading →
Words... My bread and butter,my warm bath-water,my crystal clear lake in the height of summer:my home. My perfect mirrorof life all a-glimmerreflecting the light in myself and in others:shine on. My light in darknessin every dim recessof human unkindness you fear not to goand so I know me betterthrough words I utterwhether scribbled on paper... Continue Reading →
This week's challenge is an Ekphrastic challenge, in other words, writing a poem in response to a work of art. This week's judge and three-time EIF Poetry Challenge winner, Nick Reeves, has provided the artwork featured in today's post, which will be your prompt. Ekphrastic Poetry The word 'ekphrastic' comes from the Ancient Greek ἐκφράζειν (ekphrázein) ,... Continue Reading →
The only war I know is a war with myself and that is quite enough war for anyoneI fought it for such a long time until I realised I didn’t need to. Then there are those other wars: the ones that happen on the outside I’m happy to say I’ve never been involved in one;perhaps it's a privilege. Women don’t... Continue Reading →
February’s a fine monthof snowdrops and crocuses, thefirst whisperings of early spring:can you hear themfighting for breathbeneath the sleeping earth?Place your ear to the groundthrough the dustyou may justhear them sing. February's a fun monththe month that I was born, andI still celebrate this re-awakening though I'm a long time grown:this poet's monthseedlings of songsand... Continue Reading →
I've felt a special affinity with birds of prey since I was a teenager. I identified with them as solitary hill-loving creatures like me, who haunted the heights of my beloved Lake District. I saw many buzzards and kestrels, a mating pair of ospreys and even a peregrine falcon once, but never the Golden Eagle.... Continue Reading →
Experiments in Fiction 