playlist

The Book Bag Christmas Party

Well as it’s the last weekly entry in The Book Bag of the year, I thought I’d indulge us in a Christmas Party to round off an exceptional year of poetry.

So, we’ve got cocktails, a quiz, a playlist that will suit everyone plus some prompts to get stuck into. Oh and I’ve got a poem to share and other bits and pieces.

Tear the clingfilm from the vol au vents, and let’s dive in.

First, here’s a cocktail from the bar. A Yule Mule.

In a tumbler add:
A good scoop of crushed ice
50ml Vodka
100ml Cranberry Juice
100ml Ginger Beer
50ml Orange Juice

Garnish with:
A Sprig of Rosemary
A few cranberries
A slice of orange

Get comfortable and stay away from Google. Before the music starts and everyone dances like they’ve just discovered movement let’s have a little poetic quiz. Only 15 questions on the topic of poetry:

Who released their debut collection ‘Sculling’ in 2025?

How many lines are in a sonnet?

Complete the title of this collection from Gill Barr,

‘A Wide River_____ __’

Which famous Irish Poet wrote “Digging”?

“Rage, rage against the dying of the light” was written by

A. Dylan Thomas
B. WH Auden
C. TS Eliot

How many words are required for a quadrille?

Who wrote the winter poem Harbinger found in this year’s Christmas / Winter anthology from Black Bough Poetry?

Who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2025?

In which TS Eliot poem does the line “Winter kept us warm” appear?

How many syllables in total are in a standard haiku?

Who was the first Poetic Voice to appear in The Book Bag?

What is the name of my poem in the anthology Rites & Trials, recently published by Broken Spine?

Name the current British Poet Laureate.

What is a quatrain?

How many presents in total would you receive from your true love in the 12 Days of Christmas?

How did you find that? Has it made you hungry?

Why not treat yourself to a snack from the buffet.

There’s a lovely Baileys Christiramisu at the end there. Just make sure Marjorie doesn’t hide it to take later…

Here’s a winter poem for your enjoyment (hopefully).

I’ve given the DJ the nod to start the disco.

Here’s the playlist he will be using. Feel free to offer any more suggestions…

The Pogues Featuring Kirsty McColl — Fairytale of New York
Mariah Carey — All I Want for Christmas Is You
Ariana Grande — Santa Tell Me
Wham! — Last Christmas
Leona Lewis — One More Sleep
Kool & The Gang — Celebration
Chic — Good Times
Dua Lipa — Don’t Start Now
Kylie Minogue — Spinning Around
Lady Gaga & Beyoncé — Telephone
Bruce Springsteen — Dancing In The Dark
Daft Punk — Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)
Boney M. — Mary’s Boy Child
Slade — Merry Xmas Everybody
Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
Shakin’ Stevens — Merry Christmas Everyone
Sia — Candy Cane Lane
Taylor Swift – Ophelia
Cher — DJ Play A Christmas Song
Backstreet Boys — Backstreet’s Back
Chappell Roan — Pink Pony Club
P!nk — Raise A Glass
Whitney Houston — I Wanna Dance with Somebody
Bryan Adams — Summer of ‘69
Queen — Don’t Stop Me Now
Elton John — Step Into Christmas

Who’s worn out? Me too. Time to settle in for a Christmas Film or 2.

The popcorn and spiced almonds are coming around with some Black Forest Hot Chocolates.

We’re starting with The Snowman. And once we’ve shed some winter tears we’ll get joyous with Elf.

What are your favourite lines from Elf? Or are you not even a fan?

Here’s a gift for you all. Three festive poetry prompts to keep you busy.

Snow Globe Nights – write a nighttime piece as if you are stuck inside a snow globe, What’s the scene you’re surrounded by? What’s happening outside the curve? Stick to less than 100 words.

The Joy of Smiles – create a 30-word poem on a smile or smiles of loved ones. Avoid cliche and make it dynamic.

North Star – Inspired by the night sky, craft a free verse poem with the North Star as the central focus point. Make it cosmic and epic in scale with a generous 150 words split into 5 stanzas.

It’s time to zip up The Book Bag for the final time of the year. There is one last gift though. For anyone who missed the submission window for the Unwhispered Legacy anthology. You have until 9pm on Wednesday 17th December 2025 to submit up to 2 pieces. Details on subs here.

I hope to catch some of you at the launch of the Black Bough Christmas Anthology that is happening later today (5pm GMT) – tickets are free and available here.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year To You All

The Book Bag: With Love, Grief and Fury by Salena Godden

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.

I’ve had quite the week.

On Sunday, I popped into Barter Books in Alnwick to drop in some books, (I ended up buying more than I left) then we went for a walk along Alnmouth Beach where I tripped over some jetty railings and landed knee and face first. My shin currently has a bruise the shape of Italy. The walk was worth it though because I got this photo of the North Sea with Coquet Island lit up by a soft November sun in the distance.

Oh, I also got a wonderful message from Leia at Full House Literary informing me that ‘Updraft’ had been nominated for the Pushcart. Thank you to everyone who congratulated me also, it means a lot.

Thursday’s Write Here, Right Now was terrific. I gave five obscure prompts to work on, we worked in WiP then had the feedback session. I love the perspectives and insight that members provide that make you look at a piece in a completely different way. It was also fantastic to welcome two new members.

On Friday, the Christmas List window closed. I’ll be sharing the list next week and this will be in place of the regular book bag. The list has terrific variety and something for everyone.

On top of that, I’ve been reading;


With Love, Grief and Fury
• Poet: Salena Godden
• Press: Canongate

Salena Godden is a force of nature. An incredible poet, novelist, activist and many other things. Last weekend, I picked up a copy of With Love, Grief and Fury after listening to Mrs Death Misses Death on audiobook and loving it. Let’s jump in…

As the title suggests readers are submerged in a pool of evolving emotions throughout the book. The link between the main themes of love, fury & grief is evident and used to excellent effect with authenticity. A standout piece that delivers a maelstrom of emotional turmoil is ‘Five Words’. I had to stop reading for the night after reading this.

Salena Godden’s storytelling is a major superpower. Her prose pieces including ‘Camden’, ‘October Tape Experiment’ and ‘You Made A Fuss’ are transportative and immersive. The poem ‘Sun Cream In February’ is a cutting observation starting with baked beans and ending with elephants and existentialism.

Vivid imagery is on display throughout the collection. The pieces that form the ‘With Love, Grief and Fury’ sequence and ‘Autumn’s Secretary’ demonstrate this as does ‘And The Moon Don’t Talk To Me’ Anymore. One of my favourites is ‘Dog Days Done’, it has an authentic hope.

Societal expectations and social issues are questioned and answered throughout the book. The poems ‘Book Mother’ and ‘Egg and Spoon Race’ tackle expectations on women. The piece ‘Wish You Were Here’ is a stark piece that takes in the pandemic and the decline in social etiquette / behaviour that came with it. ‘Dirty Old Men’ is a gritty and grimy indictment on objectification and justice.

Form and style is varied throughout. I’ve already mentioned prose pieces. Readers are also treated to breathless streams of consciousness poems, list poems and pieces that use the page differently such as ‘One Hundred and Nine’ or the screenplay ‘2084’.

The use of language and vocabulary is expert, I’ve jotted down a couple of new words to use in future poems. I may write a couple of ‘After’ poems in response to some of the pieces in this book.

There are so many topics and themes I could go into but that would take me a year. What I will say is, this is top class writing. In the top 5 books I’ve read this year.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy relatable, honest poetry that approaches real issues with excellent effect. It is a collection rich with emotion and immersive storytelling. There are tender moments, fierce moments, defiant moments. A title that whispers and shouts. Once read, you will want to keep returning, time and again.

Favourite Poem:

I’ve already mentioned ‘Dog Days Done’. I could choose many more but based on today’s feeling, I’ll go with another seven. ‘Camden’, ‘The Girl In The Green Cardigan’ ,‘Bit On The Side’, ‘Evergreen Tea’, ‘Burned’, ‘1999’ and the ‘With Love, Grief and Fury’ sequence. But really I can’t stop there so another few that just popped into my head are; ‘City of Water’, ‘Cake’, ‘Sakura’, ‘A Small Kindness’, ‘Kimono’ and ‘2084’.

To read more about Salena, click here.

To buy With Love, Grief and Fury, click here.

Are you looking for this week’s playlist? Well this is a bumper eclectic mix to enjoy whilst reading:

The Jam – That’s Entertainment
Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen In Love
The Ramones – Sheena is a Punk
Madness – It Must Be Love
Annie Lennox – Why
John Coltrane – My Favourite Things
Bruno Mars – Marry You
Joni Mitchell – Got Til It’s Gone
Marianne Faithfull – Why D’Ya Do It
Florence and the Machine – Dog Days Are Over
Elton John – Your Song
The Commitments – Mustang Sally
Prince & The Revolution – Purple Rain
Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman
Fatboy Slim – Praise You
Sade – Kiss of Life
David Bowie – Rebel, Rebel
Bryan Ferry – Love Is The Drug
Beyonce & Andre 3000 – Back to Black
Little Roy – Come As You Are

Before I Go…
If you want to be part of the next Book Bag open mic, I’m pleased to announce that tickets for The Book Bag: Open Mic Sessions – Session 2 are now on sale and can be bought here.

One More Thing…
If you missed it, the bonus poem from Rebecca Goss has been added to her Poetic Voices feature. I’m priveliged to showcase exquisite work on The Book Bag. Read here.

And Another…
On Saturday 29th November, I’ll be reading alongside some outstanding poets who are launching their books at Louise Longson’s Last Saturday Poets. Tickets are available here.

And Finally…
Have you got poems ready for the Unwhispered Anthology 48-hour submission window which opens next weekend? Guidelines and details here.

Next Week:

  • The Book Bag Christmas List

Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.

Paul

The Book Bag: This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.

Does anybody else feel the weeks are getting busier? Work is at its peak currently and I’m loving overcoming the challenges it’s presenting. Unfortunately, because the of the weather I haven’t been able to get to the allotment, however I have been able to relax to some incredible jazz and soul and the playlist further down the page, I even dabbled with my sax a little. Newcastle were unlucky not to get a point from the Barcelona game but it was Barcelona. Poetry-wise I’ve drafted some pieces, done some editing, started a submission piece and decided to host an open mic. More details on the open mic coming soon.

On top of that, I’ve been reading;

This Wilderness & Other Concerns

  • Poet: Martin Kennedy Yates
  • Press: Broken Spine Arts


Martin Kennedy Yates blew my mind at an open mic the first time I heard his reading of a Scousenlish poem, I became a big fan immediately. That was a while ago and I’ve kept up with his writing ever since. When he was announced as the winner of Broken Spine Art’s collection contest I was on tenterhooks for his debut release. And here we are. This Wilderness & Other Concerns is a book that showcases Martin’s ability, knowledge and interests outstandingly. The sections are This Wilderness which is a response to The Wasteland a hundred years on, Other Concerns which take a view on place to politics and, Scousenlish.

Martin is deft at peeling back the mirage of city life revealing and exploring what lies beneath, both the dark and the funny of which there is plenty in in this book. This is portrayed in the opening poem ‘A Time For Dying’ where we are taken on a tour of the city and bump into Kevin King Carpet-fitter of Kidderminster and his passion for Caliban. This continues in ‘All The World’s A Stage’ and throughout the collection.


One of Martin’s strengths is his knowledge of and use of language to expand the poem from the page into immersive imagery that you can cling to. ‘/Pylon\ Shed’ is a terrific poem of sketching out a memory on to page for readers to share in the scene through multi-sensory detail. Another piece ‘Fabric’, compares contrasting scenes immensely.


Emotion is etched into the poems in this book on a wide spectrum. ‘Overheard On The Wind’ is a tour de force in emotive poetry where the reader is treated to a whole host of feelings across the pages. I was breathless after reading it and was an incredible closing poem to section one. ‘Martyr’ is a fantastic compact piece that teems with bite.

I’ve spoken about Martin’s use of language above, however, I must give a second shoutout for the full Scousenlish (described as Martin’s alter ego) section of the book which inspired by Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Read it aloud with measured cadence and the understanding of the words will fall seamlessly in your mind.

So I’ve talked about language twice. Martin is also a master of shaping and use of space to focus the reader on the message and narrative of his poetry. ‘The Murmurations’ is (one of my favourite pieces) an excellent display of the use of space and shaping to focus the reader but also give movement to the poem.

This is a book with broad appeal. Incredible language, wonderful imagery and an emotional undercurrent flow like the river through the city. Readers who want a modern take on The Wasteland will love this book. This is a collection that will make you pause and reflect throughout. A tremendous debut, I look forward to seeing what Martin does next. Buy it now, it will make a great literary Christmas gift.

Favourite Poem:
I’ve already mentioned The Murmurations. Let’s add another five if I use the entire ‘Scousenlish’ section to count as one. Then there’s ‘Pathos’, ‘Hope’’, ‘Drowned Rats and Sinking Ships’ and ‘Devotee’.

Buy This Wilderness & Other Concerns here or reach out to Martin on on social media to buy a signed copy direct which comes with a bookmark containing a bonus poem which is what I did.

Want a playlist to read along to? Well here’s an eclectic selection to accompany the book;


The Who – My Generation
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Beverley Knight – Greatest Day
UB40 – Can’t Help Falling In Love
Kelly & Ozzy Osbourne – Changes
Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf
The Streets – Has It Come To This?
Vivaldi – L’Inverno
Dexys Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen
The Moody Blues – I’m Just A Singer
Boney M – Rivers of Babylon
Blur – This Is A Low

Before I Go…

Have you read Pascale Petit’s feature yet? Read it here and keep your eyes peeled for a mini review of Beast in this coming week.

One More Thing…

The Winged Moon are hosting an online launch for Biophilia on Friday 26 September 2025 at 6pm (UK time). The lineup looks incredible. Email thewingedmoonmagazine@gmail.com to grab a ticket.

And Another…

Broken Spine Arts have launched a new initiative being spearheaded by Karen Pierce Gonzalez ( Author of Down River With Li Po) called #NotJustPretty and kicks off with a 90 minute literary open mic and showcase aimed at amplifying women’s voices. Details of the initiative can be found here.

And Finally…

Marcelle Newbold shared details of a competition she is co-judging on Instagram this week with some excellent prizes on offer. Walking ‘In The Dark’ closes on Monday 20th October 2025. Details here.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: Drench Me In Silver
  • Poet: Saraswati Nagpal

Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.

Paul