Wednesday 16 February 2011

Breaking News!

I promised you there'd be an announcement here today - and here it is:

BREAKING NEWS: Poetry24 is a brand-new blog for news-related and topical poetry being launched today by myself and Martin Hodges of Square Sunshine.

The aim is simple: to publish news-related or topical poetry that reflects what's happening in the world, or current affairs.

The idea was partly inspired by a response to this poem written by Martin. Blogger, Alan Burnett commented, "I am reading your words and at the same time watching the News24 reports from Cairo and thinking you might have invented Poetry24."

So - do YOU have something to say about current events in the world? Can you say it evocatively, with passion, rage, compassion and/or humour? Can you see things from a wider perspective or go right into the heart of the matter? Check out the submissions guidelines for details.

We've posted four example poems today - one each of our own (mine's here) and a couple today and more in the next few days from blogger poets we had approached earlier. After that, it's all up to poets out there to make it what we envisage - topical, thought-provoking, funny, moving, alarming... sometimes all at the same time!

We're both rather excited (and nervous) about this new project, and we do hope you'll follow the blog - or at least dip in from time to time. And it would be great if you could 'spread the word' about Poetry24 - on your blogs, Twitter, Facebook and even in the real world too!

7 comments:

  1. OK. Doubt I will be contibuting though. I rarely have anything to say about current affairs (or any past affairs I may have had) in prose, so i doubt I shall do so poetically. Good luck though.

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  2. Is is because Cairo rhymes with Biro?

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  3. Cheers! (pulls imaginary party-popper...so to speak).

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  4. Dave - Ta, la!

    Rog - That's right, Roger, you artful codger!

    Jessica - We've been expecting you - and some of your poems too!

    Martin - "It's alive!" (*high five*)

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  5. Good luck with the project. I'm heading over to the new blog now.

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  6. best of luck, I'll do a bit of publicising.
    For now I'll pop over for a read.

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