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Catherine Redford

@catherineredford.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1K following 626 posts

Poet | Researcher | Co-editor at Dust Poetry. Forward-shortlisted debut poetry collection, ‘The Way the Water Held Me’, out now. Magma Selected Poet. linktr.ee/catherine_redford

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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 6h
Next on my @forwardprizes.bsky.social shortlist reading list has been ‘Bycatch’ by @csmithpoet.bsky.social, published by @ninearchespress.bsky.social. I adored this collection, which traces the loss of memory and language to dementia, all the while holding on to gentle humour, tenderness, and love.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I had a great evening headlining at Caffe Grande Slam in Dudley yesterday with the brilliant Claire Walker. It was a privilege to help Claire read some poems from the ‘Craft of Care’ anthology that she edited with Charley Barnes and to share some poems about caring from ‘The Way the Water Held Me’.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Tomorrow evening, Claire Walker and I will be headlining Caffe Grande Slam in Dudley, where we’ll be reading from the stunning ‘Craft of Care’ anthology and ‘The Way the Water Held Me’. We’re looking forward to sharing a range of poems that consider caregiving in all its complexity. See you there?
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Calling all poets! Dust Poetry will be open next month (1st-31st October) for submissions and our theme will be WINTER ❄️❄️❄️ We’re looking forward to reading your interpretations of this theme!
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It’s always nice to see my collection in bookshops, but it’s particularly lovely to know that it’s stocked in my local bookshop! Thank you to @waterstones.bsky.social in Worcester for inviting me to sign some copies today 💙
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The latest book on my @forwardprizes.bsky.social reading list has been ‘Foretokens’ by Sarah Howe, which is shortlisted for Best Collection. This astonishing collection explores colonialism and inheritance, examining the poet’s mother’s past and the legacies it left.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I had a brilliant evening reading alongside @corrintachibana.bsky.social at Oxford Poetry Library on Saturday; it was wonderful to hear Alex read from her excellent new collection ‘Skinship’ (out today!). Thank you to everyone who came along and to the Oxford Poetry Library for hosting us 💜
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I’m so looking forward to heading down to Oxford tomorrow to read with my fellow Forward Prizes shortlistee @corrintachibana.bsky.social at Oxford Poetry Library! There are still a few tickets available, so if you’d like to come along you can book one via the link in my bio ✨
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I always ask for the Forward Book of Poetry for Christmas, but this year I won’t need to! This really is a dream come true and I still can’t quite believe it’s happening to me. Thank you so much to @forwardprizes.bsky.social for shortlisting me for the Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I’ve had a brilliant time at Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival today! Thank you to everyone who came along to my poetry reading and writing workshop. As always, it was an absolute privilege to chat to audience members and to hear others’ stories of grief ❤️
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Really looking forward to taking part in the Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival tomorrow. I’ll be giving a poetry reading at 2.00 and a writing workshop at 4.30. There are still a couple of places left - link to book in my bio ✨
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Thank you to the @forwardprizes.bsky.social for showcasing my shortlisted collection, ‘The Way the Water Held Me’, today 💙
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Atrium @atriumpoetry.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
It's the first Sunday of the month, which means it's time for our new featured publication! During September and October we're showcasing Wild Boar by Jenny Hope: @vpresslit.bsky.social @jennyhope.bsky.social atriumpoetry.com/2026/09/06/f...
atriumpoetry.com
Featured Publication – Wild Boar by Jenny Hope
Our featured publication for September and October is Wild Boar by Jenny Hope, published by V. Press. ‘Wild Boar invites the reader into the darkest parts of the forest where a previously sil…
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Thank you so much to the wonderful @atriumpoetry.bsky.social for choosing ‘The Way the Water Held Me’ to be their featured publication over the summer ❤️ I look forward to reading about their next featured publication tomorrow!
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Over the next month, I’m aiming to work my way through the @forwardprizes.bsky.social shortlists; first up is the stunning ‘October’ by Nur Turkmani, which is shortlisted for the Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection. These sensitive and intimate poems offer a meditation on catastrophic change.
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Clare Shaw @clareshawpoet.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
For all lovers of bogs, peatlands, prose and poetry, here’s what’s on this autumn. From readings to workshops, we’ve got everything to satisfy your boggy needs. Click here for more: blogsandbogs.substack.com/p/sharing-th... — and don’t forget to subscribe to b(l)og if you haven’t already!
blogsandbogs.substack.com
Sharing the Love: forthcoming boggy events
For all lovers of bogs, peatlands, prose and poetry - we have a full schedule of online and in-person events running through Autumn!
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I haven’t read a lot of fiction lately (I’ve been focusing on the Sealey Challenge for the past month), but two novels I enjoyed in August were J.L. Carr’s ‘A Month in the Country’ and Catherine Lacey’s ‘Pew’. Both are centred around churches, although in very different ways!
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I was sad to hear of the death of Wendell Berry yesterday, at the age of 92. I often turned to his poetry after Rebecca died and it brought me a lot of comfort.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I finished the #sealeychallenge! And I went out with a bang, reading ‘Skinship’, the superb new collection from @corrintachibana.bsky.social. These poems explore returns and identity, echoes and changes, relationships and cultures.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Mary Shelley, author of ‘Frankenstein’, was born on this day in 1797. Mary was tragically widowed at the age of 25 when her husband (the Romantic poet Percy Shelley) drowned off the coast of Italy; she was devoted to his memory and never remarried.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Day 30 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘The Sun on the Tip of a Snail’s Shell’ by Maggie Wang. This sensitive and thought-provoking collection of eco-poetry explores the inability of humans to fully understand the natural world. Published by Hazel Press
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Day 29 of the #sealeychallenge. I really enjoyed ‘staircase’ by Zein Sa’dedin - saturated in music and art, these are bold, innovative poems. Published by ignitionpress
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Day 28 of the #sealeychallenge. Today I’ve been reading ‘Ghost Forest’ by Nick Drake, which is made up of three interconnected sequences charting the elements in the context of the climate emergency; cycles of time in woodlands; and flowers that appear between the winter solstice and spring equinox.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Thank you so much to @pamthompson240.bsky.social for this kind and insightful review of ‘The Way the Water Held Me’ in London Grip. The review was published yesterday, on what would have been my late wife’s 41st birthday, which makes it all the more special.
londongrip.co.uk
London Grip Poetry Review – Catherine Redford – londongrip.co.uk
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Day 27 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘Things I Have Forgotten Before’ by Tanatsei Gambura. A powerful and startling portrait of trauma; Gambura’s use of form in this pamphlet is masterful. Published by Bad Betty Press
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Day 26 of the #sealeychallenge. I was delighted to hear that @hannahl1n.bsky.social has a collection coming out next year, so today I’ve been rereading her superb pamphlet, ‘The Beautiful Open Sky’, which is published by @vpresslit.bsky.social.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
For day 25 of the #sealeychallenge, I spent a train journey reading ‘End of the Glacier’ by Alyson Hallett. These beautiful ekphrastic poems - which are all the more poignant in the current climate crisis - respond to the work of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham. Published by the Barns-Graham Trust.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
I thoroughly enjoyed the online launch of @ninearchespress.bsky.social Primers Volume Eight last week; congratulations to Carl Alexandersson, @racheljeffcoat.bsky.social and @livtuckwrites.bsky.social (and editor Laurie Bolger, of course) on putting together such a wonderful collection of poems.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Day 23 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘Ten Poems about Daughters’, published by @candlestickpress.bsky.social. Now, I’m very much a Boy Mum, but I own this little anthology about daughters purely because I love the poem ‘Nancy’ by Claire Walker.
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Hannah Linden @hannahl1n.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
I'm so happy to share that my debut collection, Sudden Barnacle, will be published by Blue Diode Press in autumn 2027!
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Day 22 of the #sealeychallenge - today I’ve been reading ‘Afterfeather’, an anthology published by @blackboughpoetry.bsky.social. I loved so many of these short, imagistic, and emotionally-charged poems, which deal with an array of sensitive subjects from infertility to grief.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Day 21 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘Bloodlines’ by @sarahwimbush.bsky.social. A fascinating exploration of Wimbush’s Gypsy/Traveller heritage, these poems bring inherited stories and fragments to life in a way that feels fierce and urgent, yet always sensitive. Published by @serenbooks.bsky.social
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Come and write poems with me! I’ll be running a fun and supportive workshop at Birmingham Literature Festival on Saturday 10 October; suitable for everyone, from beginners to more experienced poets, you’ll come away with a set of drafts and lots of ideas! See you there? ✨Book via link in my bio✨
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Findhorn, Scotland.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Day 20 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘What the House Taught Us’ by @anne-bailey.bsky.social. These strange and intriguing poems lead us through previously closed doors, dissolving the divide between the public and the private. Published by @theemmapress.bsky.social
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Day 19 of the #sealeychallenge. ‘Wild Devotion’, which collects the last poems written by the late Kathryn Bevis, feels like a precious gift; this is an exceptionally beautiful and poignant little book. Published by @candlestickpress.bsky.social
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Erica Hesketh always runs excellent workshops, so I was very flattered to see that she’ll be using ‘The Way the Water Held Me’ as a case study in her upcoming @poetrybusiness.bsky.social online workshop ‘Shaping a Collection’. You can book tickets for the workshop via the Poetry Business website.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Some more photos from Scotland - Burghead this time. We were lucky enough to be able to chat to one of the archeologists excavating the site of a Pictish fort there; he showed us a piece of silver binding strip he’d dug up that morning. The stone fragments depict the ‘Burghead Bull’.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Thank you so much @poetbex.bsky.social for these kind words about ‘The Way the Water Held Me’ 💙
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Day 18 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘Pilot Songs for a Phantom Island’ by @pauloprey.bsky.social. Full of hope and hallucination, determination and disappointment, these poems chart journeys to islands that cannot be found. Brilliantly imaginative and pleasingly disconcerting. Dare-Gale Press
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
We’ve just got back from visiting family in the Highlands. This is Roseisle, where the forest goes right down to the beach; it’s such a gorgeous part of the world.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
A bit of reading at the airport for day 17 of the #sealeychallenge. ‘Fossil Record’ by Wayne Price looks at memory and the natural world with stunning precision and originality. Published by smith | doorstop @poetrybusiness.bsky.social
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Atrium @atriumpoetry.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Our current Featured Publication - The Way The Water Held Me by Catherine Redford - is quite wonderful. @catherineredford.bsky.social @theemmapress.bsky.social
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Day 16 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘Lavender Hill’ by @lauren-thomas.bsky.social. This micro-chap is full of treasure - I loved the way Lauren Thomas captures the threat and beauty of the natural world, all the while shining a light on the female experience. Published by @thebraag.bsky.social
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Day 15 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘Green’ by @suzannahevans.bsky.social. These original and witty poems introduce us to Green, a beyond-human nature spirit who celebrates the natural world while mourning its destruction. Published by Little Betty
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Day 14 of the #sealeychallenge - rereading ‘The Becoming of Lady Flambé’ by @hollyannepoet.bsky.social. A coming-of-age tale that feels like a miniature novel in verse, these poems capture both the glitz and the darkness of the circus. Published by Indigo Dreams
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Come and join me at Sutton Coldfield Literary Arts Festival on 12 Sept, where I’m running a workshop on writing historical figures into your poetry. Fun and inspiring, the workshop is suitable for both beginners and more experienced poets. Tickets are free and can be booked via the link in my bio.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Day 13 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘Smile Variations’ by Martha Kapos. These poems blend sound and music with the strikingly visual, taking the reader in unexpected directions. Published by Happenstance Press.
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Day 12 of the #sealeychallenge - ‘Little Book O’Moss’ by @corinnaboard.bsky.social. I’ve never read anything by Board that I haven’t loved, and this micro-chapbook is no exception. A gorgeous set of poems about moss, with all Board’s characteristic flair and playfulness. @thebraag.bsky.social
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Catherine Redford @catherineredford.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
It’s been great to read about all the @forwardprizes.bsky.social shortlisted poets over the past couple of weeks; I’m so excited to hear everyone read at the awards ceremony in October. Thank you to the team at the Forwards for publishing this interview with me ❤️
forwardartsfoundation.org
In Conversation with Catherine Redford - Forward Arts Foundation
When did you start writing poetry and what drew you into it? I wrote poetry throughout my childhood and teenage...
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