November, here we are. The fiery palate outside makes me think this year is burning through time. Where did October go?
With a new month, comes a new Poetic Voice and I am beyond thrilled to be able to announce and welcome to The Book Bag, Rebecca Goss, a poet I have long regarded as exceptional, especially for her poetry of place. It was excellent to hear Rebecca receive much deserved mainstream recognition from Frank Skinner on his podcast a couple of months ago, listen here.
Image Credit: Natalie J Watts
Rebecca Goss is the author of four full-length collections. Her second collection, Her Birth, (Carcanet, 2013) was shortlisted for several prizes including the 2013 Forward Prize for Best Collection. She is the winner of the Sylvia Plath Prize 2022. Her latest collection Latch (Carcanet, 2023) was shortlisted for the Creative Suffolk Author Award, 2025. She works as a poetry mentor, and is a Writing for Life Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund, in NHS Recovery Colleges. She is current Poet in Residence for CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Follow Rebecca on Instagram @gosspoems
This month I will be sharing a few pieces from Rebecca’s collection, ‘Latch’ available to buy from Carcanet here which previously is a A London Review Bookshop Book of the Year and has been longlisted for the Longlisted for the New Angle Prize for Literature 2025. Carcanet have kindly provided rights for me to share images and poetry.
The first poem I will be sharing from Latch is ‘The Farm’
As promised, and graciously shared by Rebecca, this is ‘Weir’ from the collection ‘Latch’.
I want to thank Rebecca for sharing this bonus piece from ‘Latch’. This is one of my personal favourites in the collection and it is a real privilege to be able to share ‘The Hounds’.
Remember, you can here Frank Skinner discussing ‘Latch’ on his podcast here. You can buy ‘Latch’ here. It would make an excellent gift for poetry lovers.
Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.
This week has been busy. Friends visiting the past weekend got us across North Tyneside and Northumberland. A walk around Rising Sun Country Park, a trip to the coast and a walk over the causeway to St. Mary’s Lighthouse. Some fish and chips too. I also saw Tim Minchin live on Wednesday at Newcastle City Hall who was excellent as always. His live shows always make me laugh, cry and leave with a smile.
On top of that, I’ve been reading;
Down River With Li Po
Poet: Karen Pierce Gonzalez
Press: Black Cat Poetry Press
I first read Karen’s work on a Broken Spine or (maybe a Top Tweet Tuesday) prompt response. Then I was lucky enough to see her read on an open mic and it was clear that she is both a tremendous writer and performer. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on one of the several collections Karen has or is releasing this year. I will be honest here, I had been sent this collection electronically hence it being on my tablet, but I have also ordered the physical copy, I loved it that much (it didn’t arrive intime for the photos which will be updated once it arrives). Read on for my thoughts as well as an eclectic playlist.
Down River with Li Po transports us back in time and space back to 8th Century China during the Tang Dynasty whilst also having a foot in modern California. This adds a great dynamic to the collection as the parallels become visible.
From the first poem, it is clear that creating sensory immersive imagery is one of Karen’s strengths. Pieces including ‘Lantern Festival’, ‘On The Bank’ and ‘Waking Up In Paradise’ are all terrific examples of this.
The collection feels relaxing, soft and uncomplicated as readers sail down the Yangtze River. Pieces such as ‘Waiting’ and ‘At The Harbor’ are excellent examples of crafting serenity in poetry. ‘A Tender Walk’ is a beautifully crafted piece that made me feel calm after reading. However, Karen counterpoints tranquillity with urgency in pieces such as ‘When The General Arrives’ and ‘Instincts’.
Nature is a focal point in the collection. ‘Early Summer Rain’ is a fine example of Karen’s ability to weave the domestic and the wild. ‘Dandelions’ is a perfect display of economy of language and the omnipotence and movement of the oft overlooked golden wildflower.
Relationships are explored in the collection. ‘During The Invasion’ portrays a protective instinct. ‘Woodland’ reads as a poem of longing, potentially of lost love and how we attach meaning to sensory input. ‘We Meet In Spring’ is a wonderful piece. There is so much contained in eight lines.
Karen is deft at using form and formatting to set the pace of individual pieces. ‘Wistful’ and ‘Merlot With The Moon’ are two examples where a change in formatting and use of space adds further depth to the poems. ‘Between Us’ plays with alignment on the page as does ‘Bird Talk’ and many others.
This collection will appeal to anybody who wants to immerse themself in a calmer, less complicated world, even if it’s just for a few minutes away from the chaos, listen to the sounds of the natural world both modern and centuries old. It will also resonate with readers who appreciate rich imagery and expert use of language. It is a triumph.
Favourite Poem: I have a few in this collection. ‘The Shift’, ‘Between Us’, ‘Dandelions’ and ‘Imperial’all wrangled for top spot on various days.
To read more about Karen including other works, click here.
Wong Yiqin – Summer of Jiamusi Zhou Xiao-Qing – Chinese Dragon Hong Ting – Lotus Out of Water Zhang Wei-Liang – Plum Blossom Melody – Three Variations Yu Xunfa – Six Clappers in Zhong Hua Joni Mitchell – California Bruce Springsteen – Goin’ To California Maxime Le Forestier – San Francisco John Denver – Country Roads
One More Thing… Keep an eye out for another poem from June’s featured poet dropping on Monday. If you’ve missed it, catch up on the feature here.
And Another… I’ll be sending out invites for this month’s Write Here, Right Now writing group meeting this week. If you’d like to know more, drop me a message on social media. We are an inclusive, supportive group.
And Another… Beautiful Little Fools, an anthology inspired by The Jazz Age, following 100 yeas of the Great Gatsby will be released on 7th July 2025. If you follow me on social media, I’ll be sharing a link when it goes live.
And Finally… The Winged Moon are open for submissions on the theme of Biophilia until the 2nd of July. More details here.
Next Week’s Read
Title: Midden Witch
Poet: Fiona Benson
Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.
Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.
This week has been a week. For starters, I’ve hurt my back and it’s limiting what I can do. But this week I shared an article on recently appearing on the BBC, sent out a couple of submissions, done some prep for next month’s Write Here, Right Now, we had some close friends visit us from Lincoln. We also harvested and ate some of the turnips from the garden.
On top of that, I’ve been reading;
Lode
Poet: Gillian Allnutt
Press: Bloodaxe Books
I was tipped off to Lode by Bloodaxe Books (as its NE based) and had pencilled in to read in July. However, I got myself a copy early, moved some dates around due to postage and decided to rad it this week and share my thoughts with you all. Also there’s a playlist below (just my recommendations).
Lode is divided into three sections. Postwar, Covid and Earth-hoard. We start in 2016 then time travel across generations throughout the book going back to late 40’s Britain all the way to modern day.
There are deeply personal pieces in this book. The poems dedicated and in memoriam of Gillian Allnutt’s father are full of emotional resonance. ‘Flame-thrower’ is an exceptionally crafted piece that gave me pause.
I’m familiar with most of the northern villages and towns mentioned throughout Lode. Therefore, when seeing names of places, I know in some of the poems, I could feel myself there enjoying sight, smell and sound memory concentrated even more so by Gillian Allnutt’s writing. ‘Dunstanburgh’, a conversation poem in the collection is home to a ruined castle and is a favourite walk of ours from Craster. In ‘My Father, Mislaid’, a moving piece, Gillian takes us to Chillingham, a place I’m very fond of.
There are threads of spirituality peppered throughout the collection. The poem ‘The Way She Remembered It’ is preceded by a quote from Song of Songs. In ‘Trist’ God is referred to again. In ‘At 71’ the poet reflects on Covid, mortality and loneliness. It’s a balanced poem of humour and sadness.
Nature plays a key role in the book both in terms of the landscape and fauna. ‘Dark Night of The Soul’ is an incredible piece that is both introspective and rich with natural imagery. As is the piece ‘Of The Trees In The Wood By The Old Pit Line’. I enjoyed ‘Golden Saxifrage’ as it combines wild nature, domestic lawnmowing and an online literature festival (saxifrage is one of my favourite plants especially the arctic variety for its resilience).
Wit is a constant through the collection. The poem ‘Azuma Meditation’ is a clever piece. Also ‘Audience’ will draw a smile where Gillian Allnutt is meeting Queen Elizabeth II when collecting her Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2016.
Form-wise, we are treated to various forms and devices. There are micropoems including ‘Footnote’, I’ve mentioned ‘Dunstanburgh’ which is a poem in conversation script form. Some pieces including ‘Audience’ have an internal rhyme structure. There are couplet arranged pieces including ‘Pink Jenkins’ and ‘On Having To Leave York University Without The Clock’. I must also mention the notes section of the book. This gives extra emphasis to the pieces and context.
Favourite Poem: There’s a few that I must name. Crabapple Moon, The Walk (allowed) and The Song of Arachnid. I could add a few others including Beechwood, Do The Birds Worry? and Roughage.
To buy a copy of Lode direct from Bloodaxe Books, click here.
This Week’s Playlist:
Kathryn Tickell – Back to the Rede Mark Knopfler – Kingdom of Gold Exile – In Between Tides Lindisfarne – Kings Cross Blues Sting and The Police – Brand New Day Bearpark & Esh Colliery Band – Songs of the Tyne The Unthanks – Magpie Sam Fender featuring Easington Colliery Band – Remember my Name The Jam – London Calling
This is a book with broad appeal. It has heartfelt, emotive poetry, wit, excellent imagery and various forms. The book navigates shifts in time deftly and like a lode, this book is a journey. Now, I need to get my hands on more of Gillian Allnutt’s work to read.
One More Thing…
You can read my piece on appearing on the BBC here. If you’re a poet or writer looking to get your work out there, it may be worth a read.
And Another…
Black Bough Poetry has another Crafting Your Year In Poetry workshop coming up on 13th July, a great way to help get serious about your writing. Details here.
And Another…
It’s not long until the Frazzled Lit Short Story Competition Closes. Details here.
And Another…
Broken Spine Arts has a range of events coming up including open mics and workshops. Details can be found here.
And Finally…
The Beautiful Little Fools Anthology, published by Broken Spine Arts will be out Early July. This is a book in response to the Jazz Age. It’s hotter than a Gatsby party. More details soon.
Next Week’s Read
Title: Down River with Li Po
Poet: Karen Pierce Gonzalez
Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.
Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve all had a poetic week.
Well what a week it has been. After 70 years without a domestic cup, Newcastle United finally won the League Cup at Wembley. Since then, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind of emotions. I attended an awayday at work and heard a speaker discussing change which was really interesting. I also met a friend for a catchup over food and drinks.
On top of that, I’ve been reading;
Mountains That See in the Dark
Poet: Regine Ebner
Press: Black Bough Poetry
A few weeks ago, I shared my thoughts on Regine Ebner’s pamphlet ‘Oxidized Pennies’. I said that a new collection was coming from Regine in the near future, and readers, it has arrived. You’ll also know that I’m a massive fan of Regine in her poetry and for her adventurous spirit.
The collection, recently announced as nominated for a Forward Prize by Black Bough Poetry, is divided into 6 sections (including bonus poems), each taking inspiration from the mountainous desert terrain that serves as a backdrop for much of Regine’s poems. A page ‘About Regine’ gives details as to how her life was shaped and how she arrived in the desert.
Her skill in economy of language has evolved since Oxidized Pennies. Two compact poems; ‘Citrine’ and ‘Drunk Confetti’ illustrate this, with word choices connecting to their underlying themes more vividly. I can also say the same for ‘Jellybean Hill’ and ‘A Myriad of Leaf’.
Regine plays with the spectrum of colour deftly in the collection. The pieces ‘Apparitions’, ‘Cracked Surfaces’ and ‘Hurricanes’ paint the wilderness of the mountainous desert region brilliantly, lifting them from the page to the mind’s eye.
The imagery throughout is exceptional. I could list countless poems in this collection where it felt as though I was immersed in landscaped scenes unfamiliar to me. I will pick out the following as examples; ‘Bonds of Salted Land’, ‘Missions and Slit Rail Fences’ and ‘Hushed Peaks and Glory Columbine’. A great deal of the pieces are love letters to the environment that Regine calls home.
I read a quote at the Northern Poetry Library a while ago that said ‘…Poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen’, and this collection is definitely testament to that.
Poems including ‘Love and Beasts’ and ‘Desert Streets’ play with movement in differing ways. The shifts in pace really engage the reader further rather than rushing them through to a crescendo of a closing line.
Mountains That See in the Dark is a tremendous second ‘album’ that will appeal of lovers of imagery woven throughout emotional and natural reckonings. This is precise poetry that resonates.
To buy Mountains That see In The Dark, and find more about Regine, click here. It is available in both Paperback and for Kindle.
Favourite Poem:
Doorways.
One More Thing…
My efforts to start a new online poetry writing group have ramped up and will soon be sending out invites. The plan is to host every 6 weeks midweek, probably a Thursday evening (UK time).
Next Week’s Read
Title: A Dress With Deep Pockets
Poet:Jen Feroze
Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week. If you have any recommendations in the meantime, please leave a comment.
The terrace-surrounded oak is reclaiming its land.
Unseen subterranean tentacular incursions move through mychorrhizal maps and attack .
Successful missions lift the grip of tarmac from pavement and road, opening arteries and veins like a villain in a horror movie.
Saplings encamp along front lines; fortifications of shoots climb slowly and self-seeded wildflowers and mercenary-moss shore up defences.
A hi-viz council kill squad arrives at the battlefield too late. The war has already been won. A new country has emerged despite attempts to suffocate progress.
Their wasp-cry chainsaw lays claim to trunk. An undignified toppling of a head of state. In their minds, man must always win however hollow a victory.
The Barghest is a figure from Northumbrian folklore. A monstrous black dog with large teeth and claws; believed to be an omen of death. This poem was in response to a prompt on the Top Tweet Tuesday platform on X.
The Bhargest
Sable-sad fur shifting in the gloam, you could be invisible but for your coronal eyes blazing hotter than a hellhound’s, and those gouging silver-sickle claws glinting in moondusk, your blunt falchion-teeth rattling like promethean chains on the windspell.
It’s hard not to choke on the wafting scent of your cavern-heft jowls, putrefaction palpable as a spit-roasted suckling pig. Sometimes you deafen the darkness with knowing - thunder-roars of finality.
Old lives and older tales tell me to be wary of you. Beware of your paws for they will strike me down. But I’m no hostage to the opinions of others.
To me, you’re simply misunderstood. You’re no omen of death. Like all dogs, you’re a protector. A protector of life. You give us a chance to change, to settle balances before it’s too late.
I’ve been called many names, none my own. We are kindred. Not all that’s written and said, is true.
Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.
This week, I had some amazing news at work: I battled the cold, attended an open mic hosted by Black Bough Poetry, submitted some pieces, attended North Tyneside Writer’s Circle and went for a lovely meal in Northumberland.
On top of that, I’ve been reading;
Blossomise
Author: Simon Armitage
Press: Faber & Faber
Blossomise is a collaboration between Simon Armitage, Angela Harding and The National Trust. It combines haikus with modern poetry. It is part of the National Trust’s campaign to celebrate spring and learn more about the natural world. I picked up my copy at Wallington Hall in Northumberland last year.
As the title suggests, the poetry within this collection deals with the oncoming of blossom in spring. If you’ve read my piece “The Cherry Tree Orchard, Alnwick Garden”, you will know that I enjoy blossoming trees.
It’s no surprise that the calibre of work within the pages is exquisite.
The poem ‘Folk Song’ is hypnotic, with the repetition of “apple, cherry, blackthorn, pear” especially when read aloud.
‘Fluffy Dice’ is a terrific piece about nature versus man and its resulting unintended consequences. The use of triplets gives it energy and rhythm. It’s my second favourite poem in the collection.
‘The Plymouth Pear’ highlights the rarity and the resilience of nature. The close grouping and shortness of lines give the piece an urgent immediacy.
The final poem in the collection, ‘Skeleton Tree’ shows us what nature offers and provides made me quite emotional.
A wonderful feature of Blossomise is how haiku is interspersed throughout the book. Each gives you pause. I found myself returning to the final haiku multiple times.
But it’s not just the poetry that is exemplary. Angela Harding’s artwork that is throughout the book adds another dimension to the collection. The style of illustration really lends itself well to the message of the collection.
If you’re a fan of quality nature poetry brought to life by stunning artwork and love spring, this is the collection for you.
Favorite Poem: Plum Tree Among The Skyscrapers.
One More Thing… There is an EP that accompanies the book recorded by Simon’s band LYR with community choirs across the UK.
Wild stallions overrunning cobblestone streets gallops fierce as northern thunder, manes a frenzy of electric-shock wind; all thoughts of consequences trampled in the wake of lightning-hooves.
Shoots of meadows sprung up in tarmacked alleys and avenues. Band of brothers separated, searching for pastures of their own to graze.
Love bridles all. Reins accepted willingly.
Untethered and unburdened by expectation, when we horses herd together; we canter.
I hope you’ve all enjoyed a peaceful and calm festive period.
Over the past few weeks, aside from attending poetry parties, I’ve been celebrating Christmas, and New Year, seeing friends and family and getting a couple of poetry acceptances. I’ve also done some reading and writing and attended a workshop from Broken Spine Arts about ‘Writing the Night’.
At New Year, our tradition is to go for a walk to blow away the dust from December and welcome in January. So in that vein, I’m sharing a pamphlet that treats us to glorious landscapes to walk among…
Headlands
Author: Alice Stainer
Press: Live Canon
Alice is a widely published poet with several nominations and awards for her work, so it is no surprise that Headlands contains poetry that carries you through the pages from beginning to end without a misstep.
Landscapes are described beautifully through rich language and incredible imagery. The opening poem ‘Up Wavering Down’ is a prime example of this as is ‘Whaligoe Steps’ and ‘Port Meadow in Winter’ and ‘PPS.
‘Dance To The Music of Uncertain Times’ (for the Sadler’s Wells Ballet) is a perfect poetic display of resilience and bravery. After reading this poem, I sought out a documentary to learn more.
In Headlands, we are treated to some excellent use of form, notably in ‘Moon Moods’, ‘Dress Code’ and ‘The Call’. The different uses, add extra heft to the poems.
Emotions ran high when reading the poems ‘Review’, ‘Blue Wallpaper’ and ‘Still Life’. These are pieces that leave lasting thoughts on you after reading. Remarkable.
Grab this pamphlet if you want to read a collection that will transport you to vivid landscapes to meander along, feel the kaleidoscope of emotions as you journey and give you that thrill you get when you breathe fresh air.
Favorite Poem: Headlands. Followed closely by Metamorphic.
One More Thing…
Headlands is Alice Stainer’s debut pamphlet and was the Winner of the 2023/24 Live Canon Pamphlet Competition.
We launch, feet pushing from worn grass. Our thick sleeper-swing, dampscented by April showers hitting heavy rope, cradles us under the boutique of Taihaku blossom.
A tender spring whisperbreeze rustles, swirling silken kisses around the orchard. Calm wonderstruck coos echo from fellow joypilots.
Knees propel us further into the vortex, paperlight white-pink petals dress us, accidentally feed us.
Bitter tastes are fleeting chasing contentment storms.
We slow, our legs heavy in a serotonin lake, flooded with vanilla-cherry pheromones.
Paul Writes Poems 