Lindsay Zier-Vogel’s ‘Letters to Amelia’ is perhaps my most anticipated novel of the year. A beautiful exploration of the shifting identity of its protagonist, Grace Porter, as she navigates both the prospect of motherhood and a work project focussing on the secret letters of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, Letters to Amelia is full of gorgeous imagery that will leave your heart feeling full. … More Letters to Amelia | Review
To slip into Pearl’s mind is to slip into a viewpoint that finds beauty and potential beneath tattiness and grime. Taking us around her town over the course of a day (and, one senses, a lifetime), Pearl finds joy in visiting a Christmas shop in June, a pink flamingo pool float, and the soft and sticky images of sweets. … More is, thinks Pearl | Review
I am delighted that Dear Damsels have chosen to feature my poem, ‘Stargazing’, as part of their April and May theme MUSE. … More Poetry | ‘Stargazing’ in Dear Damsels
I spent the last month of 2020 with a particular word rattling around my head which, for once, wasn’t ‘unprecedented’. The word in question? ‘Mouthmouth’. This bilabial wonder originates in Cheryl Pearson’s Menagerie, in the poem ‘Hedgehog’, as the prickly anthropomorphic speaker declares itself to be ‘[a]ll mouthmouth’. It was quite possibly the best word I read all year. … More Menagerie | Review
I am grateful and delighted to have had a poem of mine, ‘Mistress Moor’, recently featured in the online magazine One Hand Clapping. … More Poetry | ‘Mistress Moor’ in One Hand Clapping
Last week, I was lucky enough to be part of the editorial team launching the University of Nottingham’s first creative writing anthology, Laced, showcasing the amazing work of postgraduate students. … More Poetry | ‘Corpse’, ‘Pause’ and ‘Fossils’ in Laced
The recent BBC series Years and Years (2019), written by Russell T Davies, captivated audiences with its dark yet hopeful imaginings of what could happen in our world over the next 15 years. Taking one family, the Lyons, through from 2019 to 2034, Years and Years explored topics ranging from political dissonance, modern concentration camps, transhumanism, economic collapse, nuclear fallout and artificial intelligence as a means to escape death. I sat down with my good friend and fellow writer, Hayley Sleigh, to discuss our favourite elements of the series, what worked about it for us, and how it engaged with our current political and social climate. … More Years and Years (2019) | In Conversation with Hayley Sleigh
I am delighted to say that I have had a poem, ‘Mistress Moor’, included in Voices, the first poetry zine published by the Nottingham Poetry Exchange. … More Poetry | ‘Mistress Moor’ in Voices
Last month I attended a Nottingham Poetry Festival event to hear dub poet and recording artist Linton Kwesi Johnson (the first black poet to be published in the Penguin Modern Classics series) and supporting poets, Bridie Squires and Jamie Thrasivoulou, read their work. It truly was one of the best nights of my life. … More Nottingham Poetry Festival | Linton Kwesi Johnson, Bridie Squires and Jamie Thrasivoulou
Eleven years of my cinema-going life culminated when I saw Avengers: Endgame (2019) last month. There was so much to enjoy as a Marvel fan—I laughed, I cried, and I’ve listened to Traffic’s Dear Mr. Fantasy endlessly since. To see some story lines finally end was moving. But there was a lot that left me feeling cold. Marvel continues to only put in the bare minimum of work when it comes to onscreen representation, short-changing its biggest female and black icons, and it’s no longer good enough. … More Avengers: Endgame (2019)| The Illusion of Representation
THE THING WITH FEATHERS 