Although I’ve written all my life, only in very recent years have I taken my creative practice seriously, and pursued ways to perform and publish it. Since 2007 I’ve had four stories and 250 poems accepted for 60 magazines and 30 anthologies, won 25 prizes and been shortlisted or commended in over 40 others. My first collection, Out of Breath, was published by Cinnamon Press in 2014, with a pamphlet, Point me at the stars, from Indigo Dreams in 2017.
I’m Associate Editor of the poetry magazine Orbis, and co-editor, with my friend Rosemary Badcoe, of online magazine Antiphon (antiphon.org.uk). I’ve an MA Writing from Sheffield Hallam University, where I’m also Professor Emeritus – I retired as Professor of Communication in April 2016. I was for three years in the editorial group for the MA’s literary magazine, Matter (example issues here). I also mentor other writers. Several poets and a novelist feel I’ve helped them either improve their work or achieve publication – but I won’t name any of them here.
A friend and fine poet, Roy Marshall, featured me in an interview in 2015, here.
I’ve read publicly many times at venues in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, including Sheffield’s Millenium Galleries and St William’s College, York and also at Dove Cottage, Grasmere, John Clare’s Cottage, Helpston and Westminster Hall, The House of Commons. My work has also been read at the National Galleries of Scotland, the Haddon Library, Cambridge and various prize-reading venues around the UK.
I’ve run many local poetry workshops, mainly for community groups and schools, usually working with local community arts organisation Art in the Park, but I also help run a monthly workshop out of Bank Street Arts Centre, where I was Resident Artist, with Angelina Ayers. If you’d like to come along, check the blog.
See my full literary CV here.
In March 2009 I was awarded a residency at the Bank Street Arts Centre in Sheffield to develop a poem sequence on the theme “Women and Warfare.” In June 2009 The Arts Council awarded me funding to support the work there. It was realised as an exhibition in 2010: “Exploding Poetry”. See the blog at http://explodingpoetry.wordpress.com/
I’ve had four poems nominated for the Forward Prize, though none have yet been shortlisted, and also one nomination for the US Pushcart prize.
I’m also working on a novel and a book for children. At some point I’ll perhaps put some samples up here for you to judge.
As an academic, I’ve a very long, but rather dull, history. If interested, you can find brief details on my education and work page. (There’s also a long, long list of projects, academic publications and activities, but I’ve not posted them here.)
You can contact me at words.of.snow [at] gmail.com
My last academic book is a few years old now. Whilst it’s not very ‘creative’ writing, I think it’s pretty readable, and it’s still selling so apparently useful:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-get-Communication-Cultural-Studies/dp/0761949127/ref=ed_oe_p
Reviewed by Shaun Best, University of Manchester as:
“This is the most well written book I have read for some time. I would have very much wished for such a book when I was an undergraduate. It outlines very clearly and honestly the skills needed to be a successful independent learner. …the authors “voice” is one of a critical friend that the reader can trust“
Words with music 