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Martin Kennedy Yates

@martinkennedyyates.bsky.social
623 followers 488 following 90 posts

Writer - Artist - Tutor I make things with words, paints & stuff. Winner of Broken Spine Chapbook Comp 2024 - debut poetry pamphlet out now - DM me for signed copy. Poems in Rialto, Stand, Poetry Wales, Magma, Butcher's Dog, Finished Creatures & others.

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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
I'm really enjoying working my way through these amazing psalms and meditations - if you like alliterative poetry that touches the soul, then this is for you. Thank you, Paul, for bringing this together and for your own Psalms, too. I wish I'd submitted something now!!! 🙃
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Paul Deane @rhunedhel.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
"Scousenlish a Singin" by @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social, on Forgotten Ground Regained. alliteration.net/poetry/scousenlish-a-singen/ #alliterative #poetry #alliterativeverse #poetrysky #poetrylovers
alliteration.net
Scousenlish a-singen by Martin Kennedy Yates
An alliterative verse poem in an invented dialect with features of Liverpool English and the West Midlands
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poets and prattlers @pandemonialists.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Tonight! Tonight! Tonight!
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 31/01/2026
A quiet nudge for the week ahead. #WednesdayWIPs is coming up. A space to share what you’re working on — or how it’s going. A line. A paragraph. A struggle. A pause. No polish required. Progress counts. Care is reciprocal here.
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 30/01/2026
Get ready for a fantastic event this Saturday! Don't miss The Broken Spine Live at The Grasshopper, Southport. 🕖 7–9pm | Free Entry 🎤 Jay Rafferty 🎤 Martin Kennedy Yates 🎤 Hosted by Alan Parry He/Him #PoetryAndPints #NorthWestWriters #LivePoetry
Green poetry night flyer for The Broken Spine Live at The Grasshopper, Southport. Event date is Saturday 31.01.26, 19:00–21:00. Free entry. Featuring Jay Rafferty and Martin Kennedy Yates, hosted by Alan Parry. Open mic slots available. Bold white text on a deep green background with golden illustrations of a rose and a hand holding a pint glass.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
I'm chuffed with this review from Victoria Spires. Give it a read - it's a pretty good way into my debut pamphlet - and do come back to me if you want to know more about my work. Thanks, Vic ❤️ victoriaspires.substack.com/p/this-wilde...
victoriaspires.substack.com
This Wilderness & Other Concerns
Sifting through the detritus with Martin Kennedy Yates
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Come on down to The Grasshopper, Southport or Saturday night for poetry and pints... #poetry #openmic #southport #merseyside #northwest #poetrylovers #poetrycommunity #writing
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 14/01/2026
Open mic slots (5 mins) for The Broken Spine Live at The Grasshopper. 📅 Sat 31 Jan | 7–9pm 📧 mail@thebrokenspine.... Hosted by Alan Parry He/Him With Jay Rafferty & Martin Kennedy Yates #PoetryAndPints #NorthWestWriters
Green poetry night flyer for The Broken Spine Live at The Grasshopper, Southport. Event date is Saturday 31.01.26, 19:00–21:00. Free entry. Featuring Jay Rafferty and Martin Kennedy Yates, hosted by Alan Parry. Open mic slots available. Bold white text on a deep green background with golden illustrations of a rose and a hand holding a pint glass.
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 10/01/2026
Southport’s CAMRA Pub of the Year gets loud. The Broken Spine Live comes to The Grasshopper. 📅 Sat 31 Jan | 7–9pm Open mic + features #PoetryAndPints with Jay Rafferty Martin Kennedy Yates Alan Parry He/Him #NorthWestWriters
Green poetry night flyer for The Broken Spine Live at The Grasshopper, Southport. Event date is Saturday 31.01.26, 19:00–21:00. Free entry. Featuring Jay Rafferty and Martin Kennedy Yates, hosted by Alan Parry. Open mic slots available. Bold white text on a deep green background with golden illustrations of a rose and a hand holding a pint glass.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
If you're anywhere near #Southport and you fancy some #poetry on a Saturday night, come along to this @thebrokenspine.co.uk night, tomorrow (31st) 7pm kick-off. Deets on post below. Me and @jayrafferty.bsky.social are performing our stuff, plus there's an open mic ✌️😎 #merseyside #poetrylovers
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 16/12/2025
"Voices... sometimes." There’s still time to give the book that won a national prize, wrecked a few readers, and won’t be forgotten. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 14/12/2025
Final week to order for Xmas. Under a tenner. 48 pages of blood, myth, and Midlands soil. Gift British poetry that actually says something. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 08/12/2025
"Post-pandemic Britain with lyricism sharper than a Thames-side razor wire." Not your average stocking filler. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 11/12/2025
Eliot’s The Waste Land walked so This Wilderness could howl. Perfect gift for the poetry addict in your life. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 04/12/2025
"This book is a wholly sensory experience... a well-wrought work of art worth owning." – Emma Purshouse Give a gift that doesn’t play it safe. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 28/11/2025
Stocking filler for under a tenner. Beautifully brutal. Quietly radical. This one says more in 50 pages than most say in 400. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 30/11/2025
We’re heading toward end-of-year roundups. If this book stuck with you, say so. Reviews help. Posts help. You help. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 02/11/2025
Every order so far—thank you. This book’s finding its people. Want to help? A quick review on Goodreads or Amazon makes a real difference. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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poets and prattlers @pandemonialists.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Thanks to everyone who came along to Yes We Cant last night. Great open-mic poems, and two storming sets from our feature poets @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social and Emilie Lauren Jones. Thanks, too, to the Great Western pub for being such a wonderful venue. 😊
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 12/11/2025
Thinking ahead? This fits in a stocking, hits harder than most hardbacks, and costs less than a round. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Winner of last year's Broken Spine Chapbook Comp... it's been out for just over 2 months. If you don't have it yet, why not!? 😎 You can rectify this via the Broken Spine website, or message me if you want a signed author-copy with free handcrafted bookmark featuring a bonus poem. 👍
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 09/11/2025
"Only lost souls that slipped through from the dry land above us." For the readers drawn to darker waters—this one’s still waiting. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
Come on, people of the West Midlands... get yerselves to the Great Western in Wolvo on Sunday night. Emilie, me and a load of open mic-ers will be givin' it our best. I'm puttin' down a deposit on a Cheese & Onion cob - see yer there! 😎👍
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 19/10/2025
It's very gratifying that my response/homage to Eliot's masterpiece is really landing & connecting with people. It seems we're living in times when a fragmented, unsettling & somewhat ranting urban poem still resonates. Please DM me if you'd like a signed copy with unique hand-painted bookmark.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 19/10/2025
It's very gratifying that my response/homage to Eliot's masterpiece is really landing & connecting with people. It seems we're living in times when a fragmented, unsettling & somewhat ranting urban poem still resonates. Please DM me if you'd like a signed copy with unique hand-painted bookmark.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Posted this for Top Tweet Tuesday over on X on the theme #mystical - feeling those Celtic vibes on the Dyfi estuary this morning.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
Big thanks to all of you who bought my book in the first month. Hope you've been enjoying it. If you'd like to get your hands on a copy, either use the Amazon link below or DM me for a signed copy plus a handcrafted bookmark with bonus poem. For more info... thebrokenspine.co.uk/2025/08/17/r...
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Responding to Eliot in the 21st Century: Introducing This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates - The Broken Spine
If you're a fan of contemporary poetry books that don't just sit pretty on the shelf but demand to be read aloud, scribbled in, and carried through grimy city
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
How exciting to get a #BestOfTheNet nomination for my essay exploring the creation of my 'Scousenlish' poems & their relationship to the alliterative form of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' - follow link... alliteration.net/poets/martin... Thank you @rhunedhel.bsky.social for the love 🥰 #BOTN
alliteration.net
Martin Kennedy Yates: Alliterative Poet
Martin Kennedy Yates is an emerging poet who has had work in recent editions of The Rialto, Stand, Poetry Wales, Butcher’s Dog, Anthropocene, Ink Sweat & Tears, The Storms, and Finished Creatures.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
How exciting to get a #BestOfTheNet nomination for my essay exploring the creation of my 'Scousenlish' poems & their relationship to the alliterative form of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' - follow link for more - alliteration.net/poets/martin... Thank you @rhunedhel.bsky.social for the love 🥰
alliteration.net
Martin Kennedy Yates: Alliterative Poet
Martin Kennedy Yates is an emerging poet who has had work in recent editions of The Rialto, Stand, Poetry Wales, Butcher’s Dog, Anthropocene, Ink Sweat & Tears, The Storms, and Finished Creatures.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Friends, fam and poetry pals lend me your ears. Happy #nationalpoetryday on the theme of #play ❤️ Hope you enjoy 'Let Us Play' - my cheeky, playful, rule-breaking nonet, inspired by this week's prompt on Top Tweet Tuesday over on X For more on the nonet... www.masterclass.com/articles/how...
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Absolutely, just the start!!! "This Wilderness & Other Concerns" has been out for just over 3 weeks - lots of copies are out in the world. I've had some lovely feedback & done the first of many gigs IRL and read a few snippets online. If you want to get a copy or book me for an event, just DM me😎
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Well, that went well. I totally enjoyed performing the whole of "This Wilderness" to an audience tonight - all 23 minutes of it - the rhythm & flow, the drift & shift through the scenes and scenarios felt amazing - got some great feedback from the audience and sold a few copies of the book. 🤗
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
I'm excited to be getting out and about with my prize-winning debut collection. Details of more gigs to follow. But it all kicks off tonight at half-seven in my hometown, at The Albionn in Stone Street. If you're local, do come along tonight, if you can. It would be lovely to see you! 😍
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
I'm excited to be getting out and about with my prize-winning debut collection. Details of more gigs to follow. But it all kicks off tonight at half-seven in my hometown, at The Albionn in Stone Street. If you're local, do come along tonight, if you can. It would be lovely to see you! 😍
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 20/09/2025
Bought it? Loved it? Say so. Tag us. Share your favourite line. Let’s show the world why poetry still matters. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
As winner of the Broken Spine Chapbook Competition in 2024, my debut poetry book, "This Wilderness & Other Concerns" is out now. It's in 3 sections & fuses various forms and styles. It's both direct & lyrical, gritty & compassionate, specific & universal. Want to know more? bsky.app/profile/mart...
bsky.app
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DrNaturegirl @drnaturegirl.debbiemross.co.uk · 13/09/2025
Weekend #poetry post from @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social and @thebrokenspine.co.uk Delicious and delightful. Can’t wait to tuck in!
A photo of a poetry book and a bookmark. The book is dark blue in colour and has a painting of a wet city street with partial buildings visible an a wall on the right with graffiti. Text as follows

Martin Kennedy Yates
This Wilderness 8c Other Concerns
'These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.'
- Jonathan Davidson, writer and poet
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Rhona Greene @rhonagreene.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Today’s post arrived at the speed of light⚡️ ‘This Wilderness & Other Concerns’ @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social published @thebrokenspine.co.uk💫
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
Those books and bookmarks are getting out and about. You got yours yet? Drop me a DM for a signed copy with handcrafted bookmark. To whet your appetite and get a flavour of the book try this short article on @thebrokenspine.co.uk's website: thebrokenspine.co.uk/2025/08/17/r...
thebrokenspine.co.uk
Responding to Eliot in the 21st Century: Introducing This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates - The Broken Spine
If you're a fan of contemporary poetry books that don't just sit pretty on the shelf but demand to be read aloud, scribbled in, and carried through grimy city
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 12/09/2025
Every order counts. You’re helping a poet’s voice cut through the noise. You’ve made this real. @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social #ThisWilderness www.amazon.co.uk/Wil...
Book cover of This Wilderness & Other Concerns by Martin Kennedy Yates, published by The Broken Spine. The cover artwork depicts an urban canal or waterway running between old brick and industrial buildings, with graffiti on one wall and a dark, moody atmosphere. A quote from writer and poet Jonathan Davidson reads: “These poems are a pleasure both to encounter and to read.”
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
My debut poetry book's been out for a week. Lots have gone out into the world - thank you everyone. You can still order a signed copy with lovely handmade bookmark - just drop me a DM. Rick Sanders says it's "a compelling collection" that will draw you in from the start, so treat yourself today 😎
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
This snippet is from the #tseliot -inspired poem in my new #poetry book which is set in #Birmingham You can order a signed copy, with free handcrafted bookmark with a bonus poem, from me - just drop me a DM to ask more😊 And here's an article about it... thebrokenspine.co.uk/2025/08/17/r...
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
My author copies have arrived & are looking amazing: the superbly-designed bookjacket with its classy matte finish; the generously-sized, natural white, pages that allow the poems to breathe; the whole look & layout are just perfect. Thank you, Alan Parry & @thebrokenspine.co.uk for a great job! 😎
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
I'm so excited to say "This Wilderness & Other Concerns" is released today. You can buy it from The Broken Spine website, or order a signed copy with original handcrafted bookmark with bonus poem direct from me - just drop me a DM. 😎 @thebrokenspine.co.uk #poetry #poetrylovers #poetrycommunity
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
If you like poems that are quite raw at times, yet intricately crafted, you might like mine! I'm chuffed that JD's endorsement below highlights the artistry of my work. My debut chapbook is out with @thebrokenspine.co.uk tomorrow. You can order a signed copy with original bookmark - just DM me. 😎
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
"This Wilderness" features various aspects of modern day Birmingham and weaves them into its own mythopoesis. Brum's rather grim river, The Rea, pronounced Rae, features on the bookjacket and in the quote below. See recent posts for more info about my book. DM me to ask more and/or pre-order.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
"This Wilderness" is a five-part sequence inspired by Eliot's "The Wasteland" - 1920s London becomes 2020s Birmingham. Post-war/influenza becomes post-pandemic/Brexit. The lines below were prompted by the exposure & removal of Victorian & Edwardian graves for the arrival of HS2 lines in the city.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
It's just 6 days till my debut poetry pamphlet is out with The Broken Spine. Check out the punchy, pithy article below to find out more... "a fierce, lyrical commentary on the state of Britain today." Then DM me to pre-order your signed copy, with exclusive bookmark 😎
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The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN) @thebrokenspine.co.uk · 27/08/2025
The River Rae runs black through history. #ThisWildernessAndOtherConcerns speaks its drowned truths. Out Sept 5. Follow @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social. #ComingSoon
Black background with white serif text. Title This Wilderness & Other Concerns. Quotation about the River Rae: cold, silenced, filled with burnt carcasses and ashes. Release date 05.09.25 and social handles bottom right.
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Martin Kennedy Yates @martinkennedyyates.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Just 10 days till my debut poetry pamphlet is out! If you want to pre-order a signed copy, with exclusive bookmark, just DM me or reply to this post. It's £10 +postage. As the brilliant Dr Rob Francis suggests, it's a vital, visceral and varied collection of voices, places and stories. 😎
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