There's been a spring in my step the last few days as I've been writing a couple of season-inspired children's poems - ready for my poetry workshop on spring at my son's first school next week. It's a good half-term theme-wise - with bedtime the t... Read more

  There's nothing quite like the spotlight to make the mouth turn dry. Though I've been doing poetry readings for a while, today at Droitwich Arts 4 All is the first time I've done one on stage with the lights on full. It was definitely an expe... Read more

  Don't be fooled by the pyjamas! This was me geared up and ready for my poetry workshops at my sons' school this afternoon, World Book Day. This year the theme was bedtime stories, hence the night attire - and the reason why I was accompanied ... Read more

I've quite literally been getting my fingers dirty this week preparing for my next poetry event. My nails are all covered in paint after putting words to wood to create some visual versions of my poems on Russian Dolls, CDs and other objects centr... Read more

Petrolhead by Jenny Hope Oversteps Books, www.overstepsbooks.com , pp 58, £8, January 2010, ISBN 978 1 906856 10 6     Right from Petrolhead's opening poem ‘Blue', this is a collection that is full of fire and warmth - fr... Read more

What with the kids at home for half-term and numerous artistic projects on the go, it has been a distracting, disjointed week. I've even been juggling my reading - from revisting Brideshead Revisited ready for next week's book group, to dipping in... Read more

It's been a love-ly weekend in more ways than one. The inevitable - but still enjoyable - romantic valentine's gestures of actually saying more than two words to each other (only kidding, though with work and the two boys to keep us busy it someti... Read more

  No, before anyone asks, this is not a blog about opticians . There's nothing new about the fact that I'd be blinder than a blindfolded bat in a black cave if it weren't for the twin magnifying portholes permanently propped on my nose! But I c... Read more

  I've been treating myself to some relaxation and reading time this week after stocking up on new poetry books at the weekend.   I've really been enjoying The Poem and the Journey 60 Poems for the Journey of Life by Ruth Padel - which... Read more

I'm being digitised! Not me literally, of course, but one of my poems. I received a letter from the Poetry Library in London last week asking for permission to include my poem ‘Rain in Rouen', which was published in The French Literary Revie... Read more