Wildlife

We all have days when we need to hear words like these, keep them close to your heart, and strive on lovelies... x John is shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Prize this year and, until Sunday, his third book Reckless Paper Birds is available for the bargain £4.99 instead of the usual £9.99 from his excellent publishers Penned on the Margins.

Representatives from the Cardiff poetry scene, Literature Wales and the British Council were at St Canna's in Cardiff yesterday to welcome the Turkish poet and writer Haydar Ergülen to Wales and share a cultural exchange with readings from his new selected poems  Pomegranate Garden  as well as poetry about Cardiff, about Wales, about place and about love. All with a bonus buffet and wine! It was a superb way to spend a Sunday lunchtime. Featuring tanslator, editor and poet Caroline Stockford alongside Cardiff-based poets Topher Mills, J. Brookes, Kate North, Roberto Pastore, Luca Paci, Mab Jones and myself. Thanks to British Council Wales and Literature Wales for their support, to all the poets who took part, all who came along, and to the team at St Canna's Ale House for helping to make it run smoothly.  Haydar's UK tour concludes in Oxford at 5pm today (Board Room, the Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford University, 5pm, Monday 25 November 2019).