Join S. Reeson and special guest readers, Victoria Spires and Nina Parmenter, to celebrate the launch of ‘Forest Management’ .

Autumn is in full flow. The bronze and gold leaves are constantly drifting along the paths and fields. With the arrival of October, it is time to warmly welcome October’s Poetic Voice. This month, our Poetic Voice is another bumper edition with our poet sharing several poems including pieces from their latest book, as well as an interview which delves into their approach to craft, influences and recommendations for who poets should be reading.

It’s back for 2026. The Book Bag Poetry Christmas Gift Guide. Let’s boost some poets and presses, give fellow poetics some gift ideas and maybe find some hidden gems. This year, I’ve made it even easier to share your recommendations. All you need to do is complete the form below and I’ll compile the list which will be shared in late November.

Welcome to this month’s special edition of Poetic Voices, featuring several of the members of Write Here, Right Now poetry writing group. Write Here, Right Now holds a special place in my heart. Thanks to the group, my work has improved vastly over the past year and a bit. It’s even more gratifying to see members flourish in their own writing projects.

Welcome. On the back of the success of Unwhispered Legacy, I thought it would be worthwhile to create a second PDF anthology, again raising much needed funds for Médecins Sans Frontières. This time, I am happy to announce that my guest editor is Leia Butler of Full House Literary. There are no rules on theme and form for this edition however it would be worthwhile for you to read…

Welcome to August's Poetic Voice, a poet who I have had the pleasure of meeting in Wales, once upon a time in Neath. They are somebody whose work is always full of soul and energy, often associated with deep time, and I have been lucky to write a small blurb for their recently released book with Black Bough Poetry. They are an exceptional writer and an even more exceptional person.

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. What a busy week and what for the most part sunny week. Good weather can make the worst days a bit brighter. However, when it’s humid and muggy, I am not a fan. Most other countries are set up to deal with that but sadly new builds in Northern England are not!

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. Well I’ve been mega busy since I last caught up up with you. I had an interview at work for a permanent position in another team. And guess what… I got it. The competition was tough and I thought I was nerve free - then the nerves hit at a minute before the interview started.

Join Paul for an online open mic in an inclusive, encouraging and supportive space. Share roughcut coals or polished gems.

Welcome to The Book Bag Poetic Voices. As this month marks the first year anniversary of the Poetic Voices feature, I thought I'd do a small retrospective and share of one poem per poet from the past year. Echoes if you will. To say I am delighted how the first year has gone would be an understatement. Reading, sharing and nominating poems to be recognised has been a massive highlight for me.

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. Well, it has certainly been a week. I don’t think I’ve stopped at work, and I am looking forward to my break coming up. My writing has suffered this week. I wrote in response to two prompts, one of which was a late entry to Fragments Friday and the other was an allotment poem influenced by William Carlos Williams.