Read the interview (1999)

Read the poems

Peter Bakowski's 'In the human night' (Hale & Iremonger) won the 1996 Victorian Premier's Poetry Prize. Brad Evans, editor of the fledgling Red Lamp poetry journal conducted the following interview on one of Peter Bakowski's now famous East coast tours. This interview was first published in Five Bells (Dec 1997), Australian Poetry Magazine. Peter currently holds a poetry fellowship in Paris.

Anny Ballardini
Duca d'Aosta Street, 79/4; 39100 Bolzano (Italy)
phone: (0039) 0471 261 987
email: anny.ballardini@tin.it
website: http://www.towerofbabel.com/theneighbourhood/translators/annyballardini/

Interpreter, traveler, journalist, and teacher, surviving activities performed in order to live and grow by trying to develop what could be defined as a sensitive conscious personality able to reveal poetic and artistic possible adaptations for everybody. Explorations in the field of abstract and conceptual art, where my commitment on the revision of Eugenio Montale's collected works, Ezra Pound's Pisan Cantos, and Johann Wolfgang Goethe's Faust are the most representative. Translation has played a major role: "swimming through water" by George Wallace (ed. La Finestra); "The Notebook of Positano" by Arturo Onofri; and working at the moment on his majestic visionary essay: "The new renaissance - as art of the self"; as well as a number of literary translations on towerofbabel.com.
Here are samples of my poems online:

http://www.poetrybay.com/fall2002/ballardini.html;
http://www.wildhoneypress.com/dream_project/dream_index.htm;
http://www.wildhoneypress.com/speech%20project/anny.htm;
 

Ben Barton

Folkestone, Kent

e-mail: benbarton@email.com

website: www.benbarton.co.uk

Ben Barton’s poems have appeared in magazines and books worldwide, including Acorn, Isibongo, Masque, Panda, Parameter, Poetry Greece, Roadworks, Sentinel, Scriptor, Time Haiku, The Ugly Tree and X Magazine. He has also featured in the popular BBC show ‘Video Nation’. His self-directed episode was entitled ‘No One Reads Poetry’ and was broadcast in 2004. Since then he has performed on BBC radio and at bookshops and festivals nationwide, including the Canterbury Festival.

His first slim volume ‘The Red Book’ (ISBN 1842941801) brings together selected small-press poems from 1996-2006. Just one month after its release it was number one on Amazon UK’s ‘Hot Books’ poetry chart. He currently works full time as an advertising copywriter.

His website, online since 1998, features information on his books, interviews, videopoems and an archive of work.

Marilyn Bates
University of Pittsburgh
126 Swallow Hill Court, 15220
phone: 412-344-2043
website: Marilyn Bates

: Marilyn Bates, author of Mixed Blood, is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University and teacher-consultant with the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project at the University of Pittsburgh. She was appointed by Sam Hazo, Director of the International Poetry Forum, as a "Poet in Person" in the Pittsburgh schools and serves on the Forum's Advisory Board. Her poetry has been anthologized in And What Great Beast: Poems at the End of the Century. An invited reader at the James Wright Poetry Festival, her work has appeared in The Pennsylvania Review, Pembroke Magazine, the Palo Alto Review, Plainsongs, Poets-On, Verve and Iris, with work forthcoming in SUNY's Via. and The Paterson Literary Review.
She has lived for 52 years with diabetes, teaching 25 years, and is still alive and publishing, which she considers a major achievement. Many of her works appear on the website: www.poetrymagazine.com and speak from her collection Mixed Blood, which is about those with whom she is genetically or figuratively connected. Their psyches, like roots beneath the soil, bear fruit in her poetry. Most painful of all experiences is the condition which linked her to her father. Her condition lies palpably under all this work as she speaks of those with whom her blood is mixed.

Mel Belin
Arlington, VA 22209, USA                  
website; http://www.melbelin.com/

My first book, Flesh That Was Chrysalis, was published by the Word Works, Inc.  An earlier version of it was a semi-finalist with University of Wisconsin Press' Annual book competition.  My poem, "The Rogue Swans that Like Classical Music," won a Potomac Review Annual Competition, and, among other things, I discussed and read it on a a program distributed by National Public Radio.  I have also had poems that were finalists in Potomac Review's annual competition, and one that was a semi-finalist in Antietam Review's annual competition.   I have been widely published in the United States, and have been a feature reader in many significant venues, including the Library of Congress Noon series.  More detailed information about me is available at my website.

Website home address is:  http://www.melbelin.com/

Marvin Bell

Read the interview  (1998)

Read the poems

Marvin Bell was born on August 3, 1937, in New York City. He grew up in Center Moriches on the south shore of eastern Long Island. Educated at Alfred University (B.A.), Syracuse University (graduate journalism, no degree), The University of Chicago (M.A.), and The University of Iowa (M.F.A.), he served in the U.S. Army, 1964-65. In 1965 he was appointed to the faculty of the Writers' Workshop at The University of Iowa, where he was eventually named Flannery O'Connor Professor of Letters. When teaching, he lives in Iowa City, Iowa. Summers, he lives in Port Townsend, Washington, and he returns to eastern Long Island for the winter period between semesters. In addition, Marvin Bell has lived and worked in Rochester and Syracuse, Indianapolis, Santa Fe, Santa Cruz and San Francisco, Seattle, Vermont, Honolulu, Mexico, and Spain. He has traveled also in Canada, Cuba, Nicaragua, Ireland, Australia, Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic, England, Italy, and France. He is married to Dorothy. They have two sons, Nathan and Jason, and two grandchildren, Colman and Aileen.

Jim Bennett
 

http://www.poetrykit.org/jim/index.htm

Read an Interview with Jim Bennett

Jim Bennett lives near Liverpool in the UK and is the author of 63 books, including books for children, books of poetry and many technical titles on transport and examinations.

His poetry collections include;

Drums at New Brighton  (Lifestyle 1999)

Down in Liverpool (CD)  (Long Neck  2001)

The Man Who Tried to Hug Clouds  (Bluechrome  2004 reprinted 2006)

Larkhill   (Searle Publishing 2009  reprinted 2010)

He has won many awards for his writing and performance including 3 DADAFest awards. He is also managing editor of www.poetrykit.org one of the worlds most successful internet sites for poets.

Jim taught Creative Writing at the University of Liverpool and now tours throughout the year giving readings and performances of his work.

Publication record;

poetry books by Jim Bennett

Pen Pictures  (RCM)

Abercromby Anthology 1 (ed) (Starwood)

Abercromby Anthology 2 (ed)   (Starwood)

Waiting For The Bone-yard...   (Starwood)

One More For The Bone-yard   (Starwood)

Abercromby Anthology 3    (Starwood)

Drums at New Brighton  (Lifestyle)

Down in Liverpool (CD)  (Long Neck)

The Man Who Tried to Hug Clouds  (Bluechrome)

Larkhill   (Searle Publishing 2009)

Chapbooks

Clocks

Waiting for the Boneyard

The Green Man of Bidston Moss

Elvis in Liverpool

Made in Liverpool

Never a Crossword

Other Than

56; A Life in Pieces

A Trip Down Jingling Lane

Vicki Bennett
Wild Women, 30 Greenside, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4LD

I am a poet and inspirational workshop leader. I set up the group Wild Women! 2 years ago. Made up form women of all ages and backgrounds living in rural northern england, the group took part in a series of workshops leading to the compilation of an anthhology, "Howl at the Moon: Writings by Wild Women", published through our own publishing house Wild Women Press. This sold out and we toured it around the region. Our next book "Hot Pot of Passion: A Sensual Celebraiton of Food (spells, poems, recipes)" has sold nationally and featured in various magazines etc. Within 1 month it had sold out and gone to reprint. We are completely independent. We write, publish and market our own work in a cooperative way. The group now tours live performances and is working on our 4th title.
We believe that when you approach something with joy, anything is possible and we feel we prove this. In the last 2 years we have published 3 books, performed live around the area, developed a media presence, offered workshops and creative residencies to other women, set up a small magazine, organised retreats and much, much more! Growing from strength to strength, Wild Women! are an inspiration. Celebrating and living with the energy that comes form the wild woman spirit, well, just watch this space!
If you want us to perform at your event, just get in touch. We number 13 and we offer entertaining and flambouyant performances! If you are interested in workshops or individual readings from me, you can also contact me at the above.

Children’s comic, author and writer of BBC TV's hit kid show "ChuckleVision",  Ian Billings has been at the forefront of children’s entertainment and education for over twenty years. 2007 saw the publication of two new children’s books from Macmillan and the premiere of his stand-up comedy literacy show “Talking Pants!” at Edinburgh Festival Fringe – and now he's touring his brand new show - "Ian Billings - Out of His Mind!"  to schools and arts centres throughout the UK.

John C Bird

email - jbird@ixias.fsnet.co.uk

website - www.johncbird.co.uk

John C Bird's poetry has been widely published in newspapers, magazines and anthologies, and he has had some success in national poetry competitions. A former journalist, he is a published playwright and has written books on topics as diverse as new careers for the over-forties and Britain's treatment of enemy aliens in wartime. He has a PhD in History from London University and often uses historical settings in his creative work.

Martin Blyth
74 Danecourt Road, Poole, Dorset BH14 0PH
phone: 01202 744024
email: mblyth@martinblyth.co.uk
website: Martin Blyth's Website

Born in Poole in 1934 and worked there for 35 years as a local newspaper reporter. Freelance broadcaster BBC south and west regions 1959-64. Poems, reviews and articles published in The Rialto, South, Doors, Tears in the Fence and About Larkin. Trustee of Poole Historical Trust. Co-author of two hardcover books of Poole local history published by the Trust covering the years 1953-63 and 1964-74. They contain many of my photographs of Poole in those years. Designed "South" poetry magazine for its relaunch. Designed and typeset "About Larkin," newsletter of the Philip Larkin Society, from 1999-2001. Honorary life member of the Philip Larkin Society from 2001. Designed, printed and published several books of poetry for myself, other poets, and poetry groups in Winchester and the New Forest.
My website has been running as a poetry site since August 2000, designed and maintained by myself. Poetry Review said of it: "His entertaining and incisive account of the Ledbury Poetry Festival is not to be missed." My aim is for the site to provide both critical and journalistic coverage of the current poetry scene - from the customer's point of view.

Jonathan Bohrn
Long Beach Live Poets Society
2500 E. 2nd Street, Long Beach, CA, 93065 USA
A Passage through August - http://www.augustpoetry.org (anthology)
Contemplating August - http://jbohrn.augustpoetry.org (on-line chap
books)

Jon Bohrn lives in Long Beach, CA which he considers to be the best place on earth. Maybe it's the music, the people and the seagulls. Maybe it's because they let him get away with loitering in neighborhood coffee shops and bars hoping to incite poetry readings and getting free drinks.
Jon is currently the editor of "A Passage through August", an illustrated poetry anthology on the subject of our "journey" through life and maturity. His work has appeared in Limestone Circle, the Memphis Poetry 40-oz, several anthologies published by University Memphis Press (Memphis, TN) and on-line at Poetry Superhighway, The Fae Whirl and Poetic Inspirations. He has enjoyed doing spoken-word venues in the L.A. area and Memphis, TN, including a few that kindly invited him to be be their Featured Poet. His first chapbook, "On the Water's Edge", appeared in 1998.

Malika Booker
Apples and Snakes
Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
phone: 0171 924 3410
fax: 0171 924 3763

IDs future artist of the year. Published in Firepeople and Bittersweet and forthcoming IC3 Bittersweet tour. Run at BAC with The Waltz - a double bill with Toby Jones funded by the Austrian Cultural Insitute. Love Hurts Commissioned by nitro feb 26th. Education coordinator at Apples and Snakes. Interests: Live literature, poetry, theatre

Ruth Booth
Robooth Publications
7 Pincott Place, LONDON SE4 2ER
Email: robooth@gofornet.co.uk
Website: www.smallpresspoets.co.uk/

Since 1998 I have been involved withpublishing and editorial services for poets. I am Editor of Voice & Verse magazine and co-judge for Robooth Publications poetry competitions.My own poems have appeared in small press poetry magazines and anthologies. Interests: Small press poetry publications

Pat Boran
c/o Irish Writers Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, Ireland
phone: 01 - 6621679
e-mail: patboran@tinet.ie

Author of four collections of poems The Unwound Clock (Dedalus, Ireland, 1990) History and Promise (IUP, 1990), Familiar Things (dedalus, 1993) and The Shape of Water (Dedalus, 1996). Also author of a collection of stories, Strange Bedfellows (Salmon, Ireland, 1991) a short fiction for children and 4 non-fiction books, including The Portable Creative Writing Workshop (Salmon, 1998). Currently Writer-in-Residence at Dublin City University.
Achievements: Patrick Kavanagh Award, 1989. Writer-in-Residence Dublin City Libraries. Writer-in-Residence for City of Dublin 1997. Writer-in-Residence at Dublin City University, 1998-1999.

Janice M Bostok
260 Campbell's lane, Dungay. NSW 2484 Australia
Phone: 02 66 722 945
Email: janbos@norex.com.au
Website:

Janice M. Bostok was born at Mullumbimby, NSW. Education: schooling at Mullumbimby, BA from University of Queensland. She has an international reputation as a haiku poet, editor and judge. She has been published in many anthologies in Australia, Japan, the USA, England, Canada, Greece, Poland and Romania. Her haiku have been translated into eight languages. In the 1970s she edited and published TWEED. Since then she has edited for HOBO, Paper Wasp, Scope, Yellow Moon, Red Moon (USA), SideWaLK and Stylus ezine. She co-edited The First Australian Haiku Anthology on the HaikuOz website. In 2003 Janice is the Secretary for the HaikuOz website.
She also writes. and has published, short stories, non-fiction and general verse. She has won various contests and awards; one being a Haiku Society of America Book Award in 1974, and more recently the Seashells Award from UK in 2002. She has given workshops, talks and been guest poet at Poetry Festivals in Australia and New Zealand. At Katikati in New Zealand Janice has had two haiku carved on rocks in a council park. She enjoys extending her writing to other artforms and has had her haiku and sumi-e on pottery.
As a haiku poet Janice's interest naturally moved into sumi-e and haiga, which is 'haiku painting'. These paintings are done by poets, so are not always considered 'perfect'. They are much like the haiku poem, incomplete and sometimes humorous (as senryu are).
Her collected haiku works 'Amongst The Graffiti' was launch at Parliament House, Brisbane, by the Minister For Arts, Mr Matt Foley, on 6th June 2003. This book spans 30 years of haiku writing in Australia. Her desire now, is to have a 'first collection' of her free verse published.

Gregory Brimblecombe
 

J. Price Brown

Contact:  Jbrownwrite@aol.com
Web page: http://hometown.aol.com/poetjpb/index.html

J. Price Brown is a fellow of the South Coast Writing Project in California, and teaches Creative Writing Workshop, and Memoir Writing, online courses at http://universalclass.com/.  Recent publications include: CATE Journal, “The Power of One Teacher” and PostSCWriP, “Looking for Longfellow.”  Her book, Raucous Miracle Poetry Collection was recently reviewed in CASA Magazine, Santa Barbara Articles can be viewed and purchased soon at http://www.constant-content.com/?aref=3309.  She states that the greatest proof of her sincerity as a writer comes from her overstuffed file, full of rejection slips.

Pj Buchanan aka Poetry Jack
Address Bristol
Email pj@poetry-jack.co.uk
Website www.poetry-jack.co.uk

Biog Pj Buchanan's alter-ego is Poetry Jack.  She brings her own refreshing brand of dyke poetry to anyone who cares to listen to it or read it.  She has performed at festivals (including Glastonbury), bars, cafés, libraries, schools, lesbian and gay events and straight ones too.  She's also lead creative writing workshops for young people who are questioning their sexuality and for people exploring creative writing as therapy for the first time.  Her first collection of poetry - 'Starter Kit', and her CD - 'Poetry Jack live in your living room' are obtainable from the website.  Pj is also a member of Lapidus (Literary Arts in Personal Development) (http://www.lapidus.org.uk/)

Ted Burford
organisation: Limestone Magazine
15 Woodfield Road,Ealing, London W5 1SL
phone: 0181 248 3370
fax: 0181 2248 4469
website:
interview
Sadly, Ted Burford died 14th June 2000.

Wrote poems and short stories, published in Observer, Spectator, London Magazine Ambit, Rialto, Spokes, London Transport, Bananas, Iron, Smiths Knoll, Foolscap. New Prospects, Staple, South Coast Review (Calif.) etc. Arts Council New Poetry (volumes 1,2,3,6,8) Klaonica (Bosnia Antholgy, Bloodaxe '93) Of Eros and of Dust (anth. citylife poems '92 Oscars P) Radio 3, Radio London.
Competitions: National Poetry 1988, Save McDiarmid's Cottage 1992, Skoob/Index on Censorship 1992, Aberystwyth Poetry 1987, Staple Poetry 1986, Camden Poetry 1969, 1971, Annual Lace 1997, Brent Poetry 1997, Berkshire Poetry 1998.
Publications: Two poetry collections:: Cranefly Incident (Yorkshire Arts Award) and Imaginary Absences. Sycamore Broadsheet No 30 (ed John Fuller). Staple First Editions Quintet. (14 poem showcase) July 93
Interests: Poetry, Natural History, Evolution, Politics

Paul Burns
Tattenhall, Cheshire
e-mail: CarolSid@AOL.com

Got more serious with poetry since 1990. Had a break , now back writing, and reading.
Poems in Journal of Contemporary Anglo-Saxon Poetry, Bound Spiral, Purple Patch, Doors, Staple, Poetry Nottingham 

interests: guitar, harmonica,walking, cycling,beer dogs,found titles for poetry which might get written one day. Trying to live up to Dr Johnsons standard : "Sir your book is both original and good. But the parts that are good are not original...etc"  Poetry needs to be read and liked by non-poets.

Richard Burns

51a Argyle Street, Cambridge CB1 3LS, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 212973

Email: RichardBurns@cantab.net

Website: http://www.richardburns.eu/site/

 

Richard Burns is a European poet who writes in English and lives in Cambridge. He was born in London in 1943 into a family of musicians. He has lived in Greece, Italy, the UK, the USA and former Yugoslavia, and travelled widely in other countries. In 1975, he launched and ran the now legendary Cambridge Poetry Festival, a huge eclectic jamboree that celebrated the international community of poets and epitomised the magnanimities of the 1960s and early 1970s. His poems have been translated into 21 languages and he has published more than 20 books. Richard Burns pioneered schools poetry workshops in the early 1970’s. He works internationally with teachers and has delivered poetry workshops in Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, India, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, the USA and Yakutia. An accomplished linguist, he is especially interested in multilingual and multicultural situations, in universal poetics and in poetry as architecture.

 

Recent books

The Blue Butterfly (Selected Writings, Vol. 2), Salt  Publishing, Cambridge (2006); In a Time of Drought, Shoestring Press, Nottingham (2005); U vreme suše (RAD Publishers, Belgrade,  tr. Vera Radojević (2004; awarded the Morava International Prize, 2005); Mávro Fós (poems in memory of George Seferis) Lalon ithor, Athens, tr. Nasos Vayenas & Ilias Layios (2004); For the Living, Selected Longer Poems 1965-2000 (Selected Writings, Vol. 1), Salt Publishing, Cambridge (2004); Črna svetloba (poems in memory of George Seferis), Alef Publishing, Ljubljana, tr. Ana Jelnikar; Book With No Back Cover, David Paul Press, London (2003); The Manager, Elliott & Thompson, London & Bath (2001); Against Perfection, The King of Hearts, Norwich (1999).

Ginger Rivers East Bush
Poet: Pen name gingerivers
PO Box 337 Colfax, NC 27284
336-992-6221
email gingerivers@yahoo.com
website http://gingerivers.com

Ginger Rivers East Bush was raised in the small hamlet of Guilford College outside of Greensboro, North Carolina. She has been writing since junior high. Ginger is driven to write, it is her voice and creative passion. She lives in the country with her husband Franklin and dogs Onyx, Smokey and Sampson, her sons reside nearby. Her interest in freshwater conservation spans over fourteen years and has resulted in her founding organizations devoted to watershed conservation, the Rockingham County Watershed Preservation Committee and co-founding the North Carolina Watershed Coalition. Other interests include surf fishing and beach camping in spring and fall, cross country skiing in winter and hiking eastern US wilderness areas in summer.

Maggie Butt

e-mail: m.butt@mdx.ac.uk

website: www.lifesoup.net

Poetrypf: http://www.poetrypf.co.uk/maggiebuttpage.html

Publishers website - http://www.greenex.co.uk

Maggie’s first full collection Lipstick is available from Amazon or from her publisher, Greenwich Exchange.

Maggie’s prize-winning poems have been widely published in magazines and anthologies. They have escaped the page  onto the internet, Radio 4, readings, festivals  and schools.

Although Maggie began writing poems when she was seven,  a career in journalism and as a BBC TV documentary film maker distracted her for a few years before she returned to her first love of poetry.  She is now Head of the Media department at Middlesex University where she  has been teaching Creative and Media Writing since 1990. She is also  Chair of the National Association of Writers in Education and Head of the Middlesex Skillset Media Academy.  She will be the judge of Ver Poets competition 2007. Her poetry pamphlet Quintana Roo was published by Acumen in 2003 and  her first full collection Lipstick was published in March 2007 by Greenwich Exchange.    Maggie  is available for readings - for details email m.butt@mdx.ac.uk