I have loved poetry all my life, and have been writing it more or less since I learnt to read. This page gives an overview of some of my publications of or relating to poetry, and re-prints a few of my poems that have appeared in magazines and anthologies.
This collection of poems brings to life women who, though they lived centuries ago, shared many of the hopes, thoughts and emotions that we experience today. A variety of formal and free verse styles of poetry is used to celebrate the love, courage and occasional defiance of real women. The book was published on 20 April 2017 by Indigo Dreams and was launched in Bergen in June 2017 at an international conference about the lives and writings of mediaeval women. For more information, click on the image of the book cover. To order a copy, please use the "Contact Alwyn" link.
Poems that celebrate the outdoor life: camping, 'cycling, walking, swimming and even driving. For more information, click on the image of the book cover. To order a copy, please use the "Contact Alwyn" link.
A collection of poems, arranged in five sections: Energy; Other lives; On being a woman; Open air; and the Christmas story.
Six months after this book was published, Alwyn was invited to take over as Managing Editor of Oversteps. For more information, click on the image of the book cover. To order a copy, please use the "Contact Alwyn" link.
This anthology was for a while Collins’ best selling book, and I still get requests for copies. Unfortunately I have none left, and the opportunity for a re-print was lost in the course of the series of publishing takeovers in the 1990s.
Copies are now like gold-dust, so if you have one that you don’t want, please let me know, so that I can pass it on to someone who does.
There are many publications that are either dedicated to publishing poetry or that include poetry in their pages, and my poetry appears regularly in these. As magazines and journals have a short shelf-life, it is worth reproducing some of the poems in full.
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Accidental and The cold war was not over were both published in The Journal, February 2020 Barbary pirates was published in Acumen, May 2019
I am not a guy, high flyer and Skimming were all published in Domestic Cherry 6, October 2018.
The environmental paper, Guildford Environmental Forum newsletter used my poem about swifts, Sky high, in their September issue.
In parables, The old preacher, Couple arm in arm, The Globe, A reassessment of sheep and goats and The point of Grace were all published in Sarasvati, February 2018
Kathak Dancer was published in The Journal, January 2018
Solstice was published in Three Drops from a Cauldron, Midwinter edition, December 2017
Après le deluge was published in Broadsheet, October 2017
Water music was published in Broadsheet, October 2016
Schoolgirl, Bolivia was published in Dedalus, spring 2016
Transition, which won the Jack Clemo competition, was included in the Arts Centre magazine, 2016
Beekie was published in the Plymouth Herald, 9th January 2016
Les offrandes oubliés was published in the French Literary Review, autumn 2015
Retrospective was in the Wenlock Festival Anthology, 2015
Whale was in Artemis, autumn 2015
Visiting Speaker was included in The Broadsheet, autumn 2015
Roadhaul was published in Broadsheet, September 2014
Spring camping and Riding the Storm were both featured on the Nutshells and Nuggets online poetry magazine, September 2014
Juggling up to five was published in The Journal, September 2014
Lycra, Shooting the Greys and Fifty Shades of Green were all published in the Pop Up Anthology 2014
Sharing space in darkness was published in the first issue of ‘Lunar’, August 2014
Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) and Hidden Power were published in The Cannon’s Mouth, issue 52, June 2014
Mother’s Day (for children) was published in Caterpillar, Spring 2014
On the way to somewhere else was chosen to be one of the Poems on the buses in Guernsey, 2014
Moon and next door neighbour’s tree was published in South 49, April 2014
Stone circle was published i the Wenlock Poetry Festival anthology, 2013
Shooting the greys was published in Broadsheet, autumn 2013
La Matelote and bikini were published in Pop Up Poetry, 2103
Cherries al fresco, Overload, Killer whales and Ritual were all published in Domestic Cherry, 2013
High planes was published in The Frogmore Papers, September 2012
La Matelote was published in the Shoestring North Paris issue, 2012
embedded shapes was published in the Wenlock Poetry Festival Anthology, April 2012
Losing it was published in The Interpreter’s House, 2011
Overheard was published in Acumen, May 2010
La Matelote was first published in the French Literary Review, 2010
Fairshare was published in The Starry Bough, 2009
The Vine was published in the Poetry on the Lake Journal 2, 2009
Those who go down to the sea was in Big Issue North, 2009
Tsunami and Skin were both in SOUTH 33, April 2006.
Skin was subsequently chosen by the artist, Franki Austin, to be on one of the photographs in an exhibition of her work; so it is this illustrated version that is reproduced here.
Lighterwas in the lovely Irish journal, The SHOp, Summer 2007. This is one of the poems based on energy and the environment that was included in Touching Earth. It was written following one of the lectures on my MSc course, when the lecturer illustrated our lack of respect for the oil that has taken millennia to form, by blowing out the flame on a cigarette lighter.
Menses appeared in Acumen, September 2007. It is one of the poems I have written specifically about the experience of being a woman.
A long time ago, in 1978, my poem Annunciation was translated into Hungarian and published in the national Hungarian newspaper, Nemzetur.
Anthologies
The advantage of anthologies is that they tend to be around for many years, rather than having a short shelf life. My poetry has been included in many anthologies.
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Halwell Point Beach, Salcombe was published in ‘Coast to Coast to Coast: Poetry in Aldeburgh’ edited by Maria Isakova Bennett, 2019, launched at Poetry in Aldeburgh in November 2019
Sea Swim was published in the watery anthology, ‘Well dam! Poems for parching times’ edited by Rebecca Bilkau. Beautiful Dragons, 2019
Morning run was published in the Smith Doorstop book, ‘The result is what you see today’, edited by Paul Deaton, Kim Moore and Ben Wilkinson, October 2019
Clapperboards and Nancy’s Star Turn were published in Spring of the Muses: the poetry of music, art and dance, edited by Deborah Gaye, Avalance Books, 2019
Uphill was published in ‘Further than it looks: Poems about mountains’, Grey Hen 2019
Shooting the greys is included in For the Silent, published by Indigo Dreams, 2019
A dream of blue was included in Moor Poets anthology IV, autumn 2018. I also did the design and setting of this anthology for Moor Poets.
My concrete poem, Hopscotch: Miss 10, is included in the anthology Play, edited by Susan Taylor and Simon Williams
Spring camping and September butterfly were both included in Quartet: the four seasons. Avalanche Books, 2018
A dream of blue, from my collection Notes from a Camper Van, was included in the Moor Poets anthology IV
Nancy’s Star Turn and RP RIP were published in Project Boast, the anthology edited by Alyson Hallett and Rachel Bentham, Triarchy Press, 2018
Town birds, Sky high and A reason for faking it were all published in ‘Diversifly’, Poetry and Art on Britain’s Urban Birds, edited by Nadia Kingsley, Fair Acre Press, 2018
Christ in the Wilderness, my poem based on Stanley Spencer’s beautiful series of paintings of that subject, was published in the Stanley Spencer anthology, published by Two Rivers Press, in 2017
RP RIP, my poem celebrating Rosa Parks, was published in Noble Dissent, edited by Rebecca Bilkau (Beautiful Dragons Press), in 2017
Heliotrope was included in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems from the Garden.The Poetry Box, 2017
Across the mountain and The price of nuclear energy appeared in Nuclear Impact: Broken Atoms in our Hands edited by Teresa Mei Chuc. Shabda Press, California. 2017
Six English Poets’ Diaries, Contemporary Literature Press, Romania, 2017
Laboratory mouse was published in the Program anthology, 2017
On landing G3, which was commended in the South Bank Poetry Competition judged by Mimi Khalvati, was included in the anthology of poems about London, ‘South Bank Poetry’.
Rebecca Bilkau produced a beautiful book to present to the mayor of Orta, entitled ‘Originals for Orta’, in which my poem Immersed in poetry appeared.
Childproof was published in The Seven Ages of Woman, The Quince Press, 2016
Nettles was published in the e-book ‘Poetry on Stinging Nettles’, Fair Acres Press, 2016
I wrote a new poem for inclusion in the book of photographs and poems about Surrey, organised by the Surrey Libraries and published by Hurtwood Press. My poem is called To be a pilgrim and is about a walk from Guildford to Canterbury that I undertook many years ago. The book will be displayed in different Surrey libraries over the coming months.
Black face of the deep was published in Not a drop: Just Oceans of Poetry, edited by Rebecca Bilkau. Beautiful Dragons, 2016
Gentle Giants was published in Poems for Jeremy Corbyn, Shoestring Press, 2016
Elemental was published in the Poet’s Quest for God, Eyewear Publishing 2016
Across the mountain and The price of nuclear energy were both published in Nuclear Impact: Broken Atoms in our Hands, 2016
Clapper boards and Christ in the house of his parents were both published in Wordstrokes: the poetry of art, edited by Deborah Gaye, Avalanche Books, 2016
Whale and Moon and next door neighbour’s tree were published in English and Romanian in Six British Poets, Integral Press, Bucharest, 2016
Six impossible things before breakfast was published in the United States in The Alice in Wonderland Anthology, Silver Birch Press, December 2015
Skin, The Vine and Ski scene were translated into Romanian by Ioana Sabau and published in Fereastra, 2015
Moving on was published in Poems for a Liminal Age, (in support of Médecins sans Frontieres), 2015
embedded shapes was published in the Wenlock Festival Anthology, 2012
Tsunami and The Price of Nuclear Energy appeared in ‘Sunrise from Blue Thunder’, Pirene’s Fountain, 2011. In aid of relief work in Japan following the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in 2011
September Butterfly was included in ‘Shropshire Butterflies’: A poetic and artistic guide to the butterflies of Shropshire. Edited by Nadia Kingsley, Fair Acre Press 2011
Walking together was published in Visible Breath, Indigo Dreams 2010
In Casa Tallone was inlcuded in ‘Reflections on Lake Orta’, Wyvern Works 2010
Puffin was published in ‘No Space But Their Own’, Grey Hen Press 2010
tree x was published in Orta Christmas Anthology, 2009
Skin and by heart were included in Cracking On, Grey Hen Press 2009
Ski scene was published in ‘For the kids’. Challenges Anthology. Biscuit Publishing, 2005
Acrostic for Valentine’s Day was published in Requiem for Love. Forward Press, 2005
txtur of luv was included in Text Poems. Forward Press, 2004 or 2005. ISBN 1 84460 8670
March morning mist was included in the National Poetry anthology 2005. United Press
Doxology was published in A Lifetime of Blessing, compiled by Geoffrey Duncan. Canterbury Press, 2004. I wrote this because I love singing Tallis’s Canon, but find the traditional words a little outdated and exclusive. This version, which is also used in the meditational material in the liturgy book for Holy Trinity Church Guildford, was sung at the Festival Service for the Guildford Book Festival in 2006. The tune for which is was written is called ‘Tallis’s Canon’.
Charting the Thames was published in The River Thames in Verse, edited by Val Mason. The River Thames Society, 2004
Puddles was included in Sensational! edited by Roger McGough. Macmillan, 2004
Published on-line
Poems published on-line can be read by people all over the world.
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Loose Ends, a poem about Penelope, was published in Allegro Poetry Magazine, September 2020
Three Covid-19 poems, 708 today, 3-ply and Audible, were published by the Poetry and Covid Project in August 2020
Three poems for Fathers’ day 2020 were published by Good Dadhood.
Keeping it Private was published by Ink, Sweat and Tears on the Ninth Days of Christmas, 2019
Ghosts was published by Ink Sweat & Tears website on 8 September 2019
Silver threads was published in the Agenda Ekphrastic supplement, volume 52, nos 3-4, June 2019
As Above So Below, 2019: ‘Walking into Stillness’ and ‘Beyond our Reach’
Café Writers, Letters, Winter 2019 published Words in a time capsule
Halwell Point Beach, Salcombe was published in ‘Coast to Coast to Coast: Poetry in Aldeburgh’ edited by Maria Isakova Bennett, 2019, launched at Poetry in Aldeburgh in November
Café Writers on Landscape & Maps, Issue 16, 2019: No land
Café Writers on Frost and Dew: Evening mist, high humidity and Tussling with a cloud. 2018/19
Writers’ Café, Elemental, published ‘Earth to fire’, ‘Elemental’ and ‘Produce of the earth’, Autumn 2018
Writers’ Café on trees included my poem, ‘Forest inventory’ in August 2018
My poem ‘Veiled’ was posted on the Poetry on the Lake website page, ‘Crossing Lines’, celebrating refugees and immigrants, on 23rd March 2017
This year’s Christmas poem, Sensing the Stable was on the Poetry Shed website 23rd December 2016
A prose poem of mine, ‘Sea scenes’, was published on the Stride webzine, October 2016
The latest in my series of poems on mediaeval women, ‘Lady Godiva: Gift of God, is now up on the website of the Women’s Literary Culture and the Mediaeval Canon, October 2016
My prose poem, ‘Sea scenes’, was published on the Stride website in October 2016
I very much enjoy sharing my poetry with others by performing to live audiences in Britain and around the world.
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I was guest poet at Poetry in the PInk at Pembroke College Oxford in November 2019
I was pleased to be included in readings at Poetry in the Lake in Italy in October and Poetry in Aldeburgh in November 2019
‘In the image: portraits of mediaeval women’ at Society of Authors lunch, june 2019
I had a wonderful evening at Fox’s Barn, Binscombe last week. I was invited to read my poems about mediaeval women, and was given an hour and a half to read the poetry and talk about the women. The audience was so warm, appreciative and generous.
It was a privilege to read at ‘Rhythms of Peace’, a celebration of the Corrymeela Community, the peace and reconciliation organisation in Northern Ireland. The event was in Exeter, and the other readers were Richard Skinner, Laurence Sail, Padraig O Tuama and Dana Littlepage Smith.
I read with the Company of Poets at the Exeter Poetry Festival in October 2018. Here’s a photo of me (with my sweatshirt) reading the Sestina, ‘I am not a guy’
I read with lots of lovely Oversteps poets on the Oversteps Day at Ways with Words in July
I read at the launch of Moor Poets Anthology IV in Ashburton in July
I enjoyed reading with Martyn Crucefix and Will Stone at The Crypt, Islington, on 19th May 2018
Lancaster Litfest, March 2018
Bristol, at launch of Project Boast, March 2018
On Braemar at sea, February 2018
Uncut, Exeter, December 2017
Indigo Dreams tribute reading, December 2017
Staverton, Devon, November 2017
Torbay Poetry Festival, November 2017
Talk about ‘In the image’ for Modern History Group, Guildford, November 2017
Poetry on the Lake, Orta, Italy, October 2017
Launch of Broadsheet, Exeter Poetry Festival, October 2017
Poem-a-thon in aid of refugees, Enfield, October 2017
Guest at Libertas Book Group, Rapeseed, October 2017
Reading and talk about my novel ‘Rapeseed’ at Society of Authors lunch, March 2017
I gave a reading of poems about women as part of the International Women’s Festival in York, in March 2017
Launch of ‘In the image: portraits of mediaeval women’ at international conference of Women’s Literary Culture and the Medieval Canon, in Bergen, July 2017
Presentation on ‘Rapeseed’ at Ways with Words, Dartington, July 2017
Ways with Words, Dartington, July 2017
My novel, Rapeseed, was launched in York in March, as part of the International Women’s Festival.
Two readings at St Ives Festival, one on ‘Rapeseed’ and one poetry reading, June 2017
Launch of ‘Rapeseed’ at Millbrook, South Pool, May 2017
Teignmouth reading, April 2017
Launch of ‘Rapeseed’ at Appleseed Bookshop, University of Surrey, April 2017
‘Rapeseed’ presentation at Society of Authors, April 2017
Launch of ‘Rapeseed’ and poetry reading at York Festival, International Women’s Day, March 2017
I was delighted to read at Torriano in London in February, along with two of the poets with whom I worked in Romania last year, as part of the delegation of Six British Poets
South Bank Poetry reading, December 2016, City Lit Theatre, Covent Garden
There were two launches for the ‘Poems for Jeremy Corbyn’ anthology during the autumn of 2016, one in London and one in Oxford. I was pleased to read at both of them
It was lovely to give readings at the Poetry on the Lake festival again this year, 2016
Broadsheet reading at Exeter Poetry Festival, October 2016
I was guest poet at Open Word at the Grosvenor Hotel in Stockbridge in August, 2016
Launch of ‘The Poet’s Quest for God’, London, July 2016
As well as taking part in the Oversteps Day at Ways with Words in July, I was also pleased to give a performance of my long poem, Chiara, accompanied by Simon Williams
Guest poet at Fire River Poets, June 2016
I read at the 2016 St Clémentin Festival in France in June
Reading at prize-giving of the Jack Clemo international poetry competition, May 2016
Reading at New Writers’ Festival, GLive, Guildford, May 2016
as part of the delegation of British Poets to Romania, reading at the British Council, Bucharest, April 2016
Bodmin Moor Poetry Festival, May 2016
Reading at Teignmouth Festival, March 2016
as a guest of the Fellowship of Australian Writers and Western Australian Poetry In, a reading at the Writers’ Centre, Joseph Furphy House, February 2016
Reading at the Live Poets Literary and Poetry Society, Taupo, New Zealand, January 2016
Reading at Oversteps in Oxford at Albion Beatnik in Oxford, December 2015
Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, November 2015
Café Culture at Thrive Café, Totnes, with singer-songwriter Zoë Marriage, November 2015
Poetry on the Lake, Orta, Italy, October 2015
Featured poet on Romanian radio September 2015
Launch of Poems for a Liminal Age, Waterloo, August 2015
Stanza reading at St John’s, Just Festival, Edinburgh, August 2015
Broadsheet reading, Exeter, August 2015
Unveiling of memorial stone to Anne Born, July 2015
At the end of 2015, Diane Watt, Professor of Medieval English Literature at the University of Surrey, asked if she could publish my long poem, Chiara, on the blog of the inter-university, international project supported by Leverhulme, Women’s Literary Culture and the Mediaeval Canon, to join the project as an Associate Member, and to contribute further poems about mediaeval women every few months.
So far the following poems have appeared on their blog:
These and other poems were published in April 2017 in In the image.
Prizes and awards
I have been extremely fortunate in winning a number of poetry competitions and have been placed in many others. Here is one that provided me with a cash prize and a lovely trophy to enjoy for a couple of years.
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On landing G3’, which was commended in the South Bank Poetry Competition judged by Mimi Khalvati, was included in the anthology of poems about London, ‘South Bank Poetry’, 2017
I was shortlisted for the Paragram Poetry Prize, 2016
I was pleased to be shortlisted in the Poetry on the Lake poetry competition, 2016
A poem by me was one of five commended in the South Bank poetry competition, 2016
Nancy’s star turn was shortlisted in the Poetry on the Lake competition, 2016
Castle-spotting was shortlisted / commended in the ‘I cento castelli’ poetry competition in northern Italy, 2011
O was awarded a distinction in the Mere Poetry Competition, 2011
When my eyes shrank the fat man came third in the Readers Award in Orbis, 2011
fairshare won second prize in the Farmers’ Weekly poetry competition, 2011
Ubuntu Love Song was Highly Recommended in the Mirehouse Poetry Competition, 2011
The Vine was commended in the Silver Wyvern competition, 2009
Bonhoeffer’s Last Goodnight won second prize in the international Colloquy competition, 2006.
Highly commended in the BBC Wildlife Poet of the Year, 2006
Workshops
I am available to lead workshops – please contact me for details.
Winchester Cathedral, 2013
Cheltenham Poetry Festival, 2011
Poetry Day, Paignton, 2011
Guildford Book Festival, 2010
Residencies
Poets are sometimes invited to take up short or longer residencies, and I have greatly enjoyed these.
Poet in Residence for Winchester 10 Days Arts Festival. 2013
with Ballet Rambert choreographer and dancers, Dartington, 2011
Radio
I have found it difficult to be organised enough to catch the programmes when my poetry is on radio, but here are some details.
featured poet on Romanian radio, September 2015
extracts from Epiphany were read on BBC World Service.
broadcast on Romanian National Radio, May 2012.
Skin, The vine, Ski scene and Tsunami were read in English and Romanian (translated by Mihai Cristian Toncu) on Romanian radio in June 2014.
Romanian radio has broadcast my poetry on several occasions, and I was interviewed on radio in Western Australia early in 2016, but have not managed to acquire recordings.
To hear an interview with me that was broadcast on local radio in Devon, click here.
Lectures and articles on other poets
I lectured on English poetry at the University of Surrey, where I was also Literature Coordinator and organised the Annual University Poetry Lectures.
I have recently returned to the University as a research fellow in the Department of English.
I have given guest lectures on T. S. Eliot, Alice Oswald, Jack Clemo and others.
Magazine articles by me on the poet Alice Oswald have been published in Resurgence and in Devon Life:
Barnett Open Poetry Competition (three years running)
Jack Clemo Poetry Competition (run by the Arts Centre Group)
Guildford Cathedral Poetry Competition
Computer poetry and jazz
The group, Sunflowers, was active in the late 1970s creating computer-generated poetry using Bard 0 and Bard 1D computer programs. The poetry was performed to jazz accompaniment, also composed by the group. The jazz quartet gave performances at a number of venues, including the Edinburgh Festival, and was featured on BBC radio.
In recent years I have been pleased, as Managing Editor of Oversteps Books, to publish many other poets.
As Editor of Christian Journal (1991-1998), I was fortunate to be in a position to raise the profile of contemporary poetry by giving space and prominence to a wide selection of good modern poets.
Sermons about my poetry at Salisbury Cathedral
Canon Jeremy Davies preached on Uncertain Advent on 8 December 2002 and on Logos on 28 December 2003.
Future bookings
I am always pleased to consider invitations to read at festivals and workshops or to undertake poetry residencies. Please contact me.
Membership
I am a life member of the Poetry Society and, more locally, a member of the Devon Company of Poets and Moor Poets.
