Red Squirrel Press to publish Witness in October.

I’m delighted to announce my 3rd poetry book, Witness, will be published by Red Squirrel Press this October.

Red Squirrel Press founding editor, Sheila Wakefield, has made this book possible. It is widely known that Sheila has struggled with health issues for the last few months and her workload has been massively reduced as a consequence. Witness will be the last poetry book published in 2024 by RSP and I feel very priviliged that it is.

I am also grateful to my editor, Helen Boden, for her continuing hard work, and insightful reading of my manuscript. All that and she’s a really good egg too!

Over the next few months I’ll be publishing details of my readings from Witness. Following the cancellation of so many readings when my last book, Heft, was published (on the same day the 1st Covid lockdown was announced!), it’s been encouraging to be able to confirm some early readings for Witness already, these are:

3rd October 2024. National Poetry Day Reading. Wirral Libraries Open Mic. 18:00 to 19:30. Wallasey Central Library, Earlston Raod, Wallasey. CH45 5DX. This is not a guest poet event but will be the first public outing for some of the poems in the book which, with any luck, will have been publlished by then!

16th October 2024. Wordsmithery. Start-Yard, 108, Church Street, Birkenhead. CH41 5EQ. Guest Poet, launch reading. My thanks to Alison Schultz for arranging this reading.

2nd January 2025. First Thursday. Lingham’s Bookshop. 248, Telegraph Road, Heswall. CH60 7SG. My thanks to Kemal Houghton for arranging this reading.

7th may 2025. Coquetdale Creatives. Rothbury Jubilee Hall. Bridge Street, Rothbury, Morpeth, Northumberland NE65 7SD. My thanks to Katie Scott for arranging this reading.

14th May 2025. Ye Olde Murenger House. 53, High Street, Newort. NP20 1GA. My thanks to Alan Roderick for arranging this reading.

If you run a poetry venue or festival, or know someone who does, please contact me on Messenger if you have a Guest Poet slot available. I’m willing to travel (as you can see from the above bookings!) and only ask for the oportunity to sell books following my reading.

I hope to see you at one of the growing list of venues very soon!