Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.
What a busy week. It always feels that way when you go back to work after a break!
I was lucky enough to host imagist extravaganza TopTweetTuesday and read & hear some fantastic pieces. It’s a great platform to experiment with your poetry. I also took part in Fragment Fridays to get in some writing practice and woke up on Saturday to the news that my poem was joint 3rd with the incredible Regine Ebner this week. This weekend I dedicated to working on my own writing (and the Tyne-Wear derby). On top of that, I got a Forward prize nomination from Full House Literary! I’m still buzzing at this incredible news.
I’ve added a nightly reading hour to my schedule this week, to take a break from screens. The first book I read was Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These and got engrossed, so I finished it in a sitting. An excellent book.
The finishing touches are being added to the anthology. I’m so excited to share it with the world on March 31st. The quality of writing is incredible, and the poets have been a joy to communicate and work with.
There’s been some sunshine and warmth in Newcastle. It makes a massive difference. At the allotment we have planted some vegetables and salad items. We’re also ready to pot on the tomatoes and have bought the grow bags ready for the greenhouse.
We also installed my bat box in the back garden. I hope we get some pipistrelles nesting.
On top of that, I’ve been reading;
Birds | Humans | Machines | Dolphins
- Poet: Genevieve Carver
- Press: Guillemot Press
I was sent a copy of Birds | Humans | Machines | Dolphins as a recommendation of something I would enjoy reading by Leia from Full House Literary. Leia was not wrong.
There is some exceptionally emotive poetry in the book that never strays across cliche ‘Concurrences’ is a perfect example of this. The piece ‘ROV’ (one of my favourites) triggered a physical emotional reaction. I had to take a reading break and have a tea. The closing piece ‘~whistle~’ is a triumph in showing multiple emotional states across a single poem.
Humour can be found across the pages. Two of my favourites ‘Please Do Not Anthropomorphise The Animals’ and ‘~buzz~’ are great examples. In fact I’ve felt like the closing to ‘~buzz~’ on a few occasions the past couple of weeks!
We are treated to wonderful imagery through sound and movement. In the pieces ‘~echolocation click~’, ‘Beatrice’ and ‘Ringing a Fulmar’ readers are immersed in vivid scenes with added feeling of motion.
Form and style is played with excellently throughout the book. ‘Hazard Risk Assessment’ is an excellent multi-poem spread across grid paper. It is little touches like this that can elevate books. In the Machines section, the font is amended to a retro robotic style. I read some of the pieces in this section in an internal voice resembling an android. This font coupled with the formatting of ‘C-Pod’ (one of my favourites) gave it a real sense of a tickertape.
This is an exceptional book that nature lovers will thoroughly enjoy. Fans of evocative , emotionally engaged poetry will appreciate the layered and clever writing throughout. Poetics who admire playfulness with form and a hybrid style will love this book. This is a marvellous read.
Favourite Poem:
I’ve already mentioned ‘ROV’, ‘C-Pod’, ‘Please Do Not Anthropomorphise The Animals’ and ‘~buzz~’. I’ll also add ‘Hydrophone’, ‘Postcards From A Fulmar’ and ‘Field Log’. Every poem in this is top class.
To read more about Genevieve Carver click here.
If you want to buy Birds | Humans | Machines | Dolphins, click here.
You’ve stayed for the playlist? This week’s eclectic mix was a mix of pop, rock and dance…
Passenger – Two Beautiful Birds
The Foo Fighters – Learn To Fly
Imagine Dragons – On Top Of The World
Florence & The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
James Blunt – Postcards
Shed Seven – Dolphin
Beyoncé – Single Ladies
10CC – I’m Not In Love
Adele – Rolling In The Deep
Elephant Micah – Field Notes
Deepest Blue – Deepest Blue
Ultra Naté – Free
Before I Go…
Have you kept up with Vikki C’s Poetic Voice feature? Her final poem was added on World Poetry Day on Saturday. Read the feature in full here.
One More Thing…
The Last Saturday Poets is coming up on 28th March 2026. Details and tickets of the stellar lineup can be found here.
And Another…
Have you checked out Rebecca Leek’s podcast, The Ditty Bag yet? It’s available to listen to via her Substack here. It’s a great way to discover poets and poems, new and old.
And Finally…
Eleanor Holmes online launch of #Moth is in April. I’m delighted to have been asked to be part of the reading line up which includes some fascinating poets including Sarah Raybould and Elizabeth Osmond. Full details and tickets are available here.
Next Week’s Read
- Title: After Party
- Poet: Dean Browne
Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.
Paul
Paul Writes Poems 