Wildlife

Ah, and the other poem 'The Key Worker's Wife' has gone up on Carol Ann Duffy's Write Where We Are Now pandemic project too, although the cans are strictly 7up Free and Diet Coke Lime these days  ;)  Ben likes this poem less than the other one.

Sustained – Fra Beecher I was recently commissioned to write two creative pieces for the artist Fra Beecher relating to her Body of Work looking at the experience of being an artist's model. Susie Wild Sustained Scars? I have many, but when I disrobe and stand before the horseshoe of easels for the first time I wonder which they will see. Some are obvious: the playground knees, the birthmarks, removed, that have grown as I have. One above my right breast fading beneath a new sticky-outy mole. One on my left temple, often hidden by a fringe or a side-parting. [...] You can read one of the pieces 'Sustained' and others by Christina Thatcher and Steven Kenwood online .

I'm delighted to have my poem 'The Cancelled Honeymoon'  up as part of Carol Ann Duffy's Write Where We Are Now project! Carol Ann Duffy and the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University have brought together poets from around the world to write new poems during the Coronavirus crisis. Our poets were invited to write directly about the pandemic or about the personal situation they found themselves in during lockdown. The collection features poems written from the earliest stages of the pandemic up until 30th June 2020. The poems are presented in date order and each includes a note about where it was written. They will remain online as a permanent creative, historical and sociological record of these extraordinary and challenging times.

Missing my voice? Hear me read a new poem from the latest issue of Poetry Wales here ... Warning: I swear. 

I am pleased to have placed as the second prize winner in the Welshpool Poetry Festival Competition. You can download my poem to read . Congratulations to 1st prize winner Jeanette Burton, 3rd prize winner Julia Forster and all of the highly commended poets especially Emily Cotterill. You can watch me read the poem from my garden here:  https://www.facebook.com/pat.edwards.106/videos/10216605661115837/ Prizes: 1st - £150. 2nd - £50. 3rd - £25. ‘ On the eve of my 40th birthday I watch a news report about a pet alligator ’ by Jeanette Burton. ‘ In this battle there won’t be many hugs’ by Susie Wild. ‘ At Nineteen I got a Tattoo to Inoculate Myself’ by Julia Forster. Poems awarded Highly Commended by Jonathan Edwards were: ‘Nan’ by Jan Westwood ‘It is difficult to write a poem with a dog on your kneen’ by Jeanette Burton ‘This Black Country Wenchn’ by Tina Cole ‘Motion, Emotionn’ by Alison Lock ‘Inconstant Gardenersn’ by Kathy Miles ‘Michael Sheen Ke...

Want a socially-distanced 1-1 poetry session with me? You can have one... if you donate to the new Young Poets crowdfunder to support young poets aged 10-17 in Wales here ... (Other poets are available).

Listen again to my husband playing original songs and covers on the lockdown Black Country radio the other night. I came back from the loo and was pulled to the sofa 1/3 through a song to do an unexpected, unrehearsed join in... 56 minutes in. He's on for 2 hours, and I recommend you listen to the whole show, I don't marry just anyone you know ;)

My two Cornwall-based poems from my debut collection 'Better Houses' in the current Cornwall/Wales issue of 'The Atlanta Review', available to read for free here:  http://atlantareview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Atlanta-Review-Spring-2020-04.30.20.pdf

Look what just arrived! You’ll be able to hear me read it on their website at some point too.

It was so lovely to spot my name on the Highly Commended list for this year's Prole Laureate Competition. Judge Jonathan Edwards selected a poem about blooms and boxing called 'Wild Flowers'. You can now read the winning top three poems on their website.

I am pleased to have a poem 'The Carnivore Boyfriends' featured in the new Spring issue of Poetry Wales which is having a virtual launch this Thursday. Ben is hopefully helping me sort an audio recording of it for the website later today too. Tune in on the night for some great readings and the open mic , and keep an eye on the website for further featured poet musings and multimedia. Join us in May for our second virtual First Thursday which this month is a Poetry Wales magazine special! We’ll be joined by PW editor Jonathan Edwards and guest readers Alan Perry, Taylor Edmonds and Abeer Ameer. The readings will be followed by our usual open mic which you can sign up for in the chat during the event. This event will be hosted on Zoom. Find the details you need to join us below. Please email sarahjohnson@serenbooks.com for the meeting password.

From the NYPL Public Domain Collection I am pleased to have two poems from my debut collection Better Houses (Parthian) included in the Cornwall/Wales special Spring/Summer issue of The Atlanta Review , which you can download for free , or a small donation if you are able to, from their website.

Hello Lovelies, I hope you are surviving January, the cruellest month. I'm back out and about doing events next month! I recommend you book your tickets for the Seren Cardiff Poetry Festival on Valentine's Weekend, where I will be introducing you to some excellent new and emerging poets in the New Poetry Showcase on Saturday morning , at just £5 a ticket it's worth getting out of bed for... and the rest of the programme of readings and workshops. Take a look and book yourself a few poetry treats. I'm also heading to the Cellar Bards in Cardigan  on Friday 28th Feb to read with my dear poet Kittie Belltree as guest features (7.30pm). There's an open mic too and Ben is going to play you a few songs – so plenty of reasons to come and join us, it will be a real pleasure to see you. Warmest wishes on these cold nights, Susie Q Xx

I'll be doing a Wildsmiths gig with Ben, Andrew and friends to kick the new decade off in style. Join us! Picking and singing with Ben & Susie Wildsmith and Andrew Hawkey. If you fancy playing feel free, otherwise wind down listening to some righteous tunes on the first day of the '20s! The Mount Inn, Llanidloes 4-7pm

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 ...

Hello Dears, I hope you are all having a fantastic summer! Good news, my second poetry collection Windfalls , is coming out in October 2020. While I iron out the creases I've a few gigs coming up, some poetry straight as Susie Wild, some mixing it up with some songs with my partner in crime and creativity as Susie Wildsmith / Ben Wildsmith / The Wildsmiths, alongside many more of his own songs, fingerpickin' genius and well-chosen covers...  Listen to Ben's 1998 album  The Lowest Form of Folk  for free on Soundcloud . AUGUST Fri 9 – The Barn, Ledbury, 7pm, (reading some poems and joining the husbear Ben Wildsmith on some of his songs ), free entry. Sun 18 – The Wildsmiths: In Concert, Brown's Hotel, Laugharne , 3-5:45pm, (reading some poems and joining the husbear Ben Wildsmith on some of his songs), free entry Mon 26 – The Wildsmiths, Katie Fitzgeralds, Stourbridge , 5pm, (reading some poems and joining the husbear Ben Wildsmith on some of his songs)....

" Thanks again to all the terrific authors who came along to read their poems from our Seren Cardiff anthology pamphlet. Can you spot them?! @serenbooks @chaptertweets  — with  Peter Finch ,  Susie Wildsmith ,  Clare Potter ,  Mab Jones ,  Kate North ,  Bob Walton ,  Sarah Rowland Jones  and  Jonathan Edwards ." – Amy Wack

I'm looking forward to reading at the launch for this at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff on Thursday! " Hello Everyone, including new members - one more week until First Thursday of the Month at Chapter Arts Centre. We will be featuring a number of the famous contributors to the Cardiff poems pamphlet! Media Point, 7:30, £3 entry as usual and please bring along your own 'Cardiff' poems for our open mic." –  Amy Wack   Chapter Arts Centre

We love a good wedding at IS&T and want to wish all the very best to  Susie Wild  and Ben who are getting married today! 'How Much Sickness Are We Talking, Exactly?' from Susie, for Ben, and on  www.inksweatandtears.co.uk  now!  ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ For we’ve already had more than our fair share, fevered and sweaty in our whirlwind love, and are you sick of me yet, darling? Anyway as I fall over, fall further into this, as a date is set, as our goose is cooked, love? Read the poem in full on the Ink Sweat & Tears website.