Oriel Davies Open Writing Competition 

I’m delighted to be judging the Oriel Davies Open Writing Competition along with the lovely and talented Chris Kinsey. Closing date 4th November. If you’ve read Rebel Sun you’ll know I’ve had a slight obsession with writing about water (dŵr) for some time so I’m really looking forward to reading the submissions! 

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The Party of Wales

It wasn’t intentional to use The Guardian twice in a row for #postnewspolitics. In their defence it’s because I haven’t posted one in a while and couldn’t bring myself to spend the extra money a Saturday paper costs on anything else. But now I’m here and the pages are open I’m reminded why I’m becoming […]

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Newspaper loyalty

Just a quick #postnewspolitics today. Taken from The Guardian.  I’ve been thinking a lot about the oscillating love/hate I’ve had for The Guardian over the past few years. A decade ago I’d buy it religiously especially on Saturdays (and the Observer on Sundays). I felt a real affinity with the columnists and political writers. What […]

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Tree Charter Champions

It’s Easter Saturday and I’m on the train home from Cardiff where I’ve been performing alongside writers I have a lot of respect for including Clare e Potter, Dan Tsu and Philip Gross for All That The World Allows. The event, held in Bute Park, was part of a Tree Charter project organised in association […]

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Getting around Cymru

We’re still between vans at the moment so I’ve been relying on public transport when workshopping. The train is always the best option for getting to Cardiff or Swansea from Wrexham and the direct line is pretty efficient but along the coast the service is a bit threadbare (literally some of the seats are falling […]

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a radical proposal for community arts & education

Years ago during an interview with a local newspaper I gave my title as Community Poet. Afterwards a more experienced writer explained I shouldn’t use the word community because it’s twee and suggests the work is somehow less in comparison to hi-end-art. I’m still baffled by this. Community shapes everything. No artist is born, or […]

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on submitting

I haven’t yet found the courage to brave the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (except as a punter) so I’ve come to accept August is a quiet time in my calendar. Outside of writing, the freelance work is tied up with schools or projects in the community, but with many people on holiday this month my schedule […]

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Cefnogi Saith Seren Wrecsam/Support Saith Seren Wrexham

I want to do more to support local causes this year, so I’ve decided to do the Llandudno Sea Triathlon on Sunday 5th July 2015 to raise money for Saith Seren in Wrecsam. Dwi am wneud mwy i gefnogi achosion lleol eleni, felly dwi wedi penderfynu gwneud Triathlon Môr Llandudno ddydd Sul, Gorffennaf 5ed 2015, […]

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Gelynion/Enemies

I was honoured to be invited by Poetry Wales editor and co-curator of Gelynion/Enemies, Nia Davies, to be part of the Bangor event. The Enemies Project is the brainchild of Steven J Fowler, a talented and prolific poet who is also one of the loveliest people I’ve met in the poetry world.

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The Undertow

Years ago I met multi-lingual concrete poet Peter Meilleur (Childe Roland) at his home in Llangollen and it had a profound affect on my work. Up until that point I wrote satirical, witty, political slam-style poems. I won the Bangor Poetry Slam in 2008 with a poem called Armchair Anarchy, but the genre was beginning to […]

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