'Seventeen Steps' and Rogue Strands reading this Thursday 28 November

A few days ago my poem 'Seventeen Steps' appeared on Matthew Stewart's Rogue Strands blog as a little taster for the Rogue Strands poetry reading this Thursday, 28 November in London (along with a nice little writeup). 'Seventeen Steps' originally appeared in print a few years ago in Lighthouse. If you browse the Rogue Strands blog you will find poems by all of the readers.

The reading on Thursday is at the King and Queen Pub in Foley Street, London W1W 6DL. Details:
http://roguestrands.blogspot.com/2019/09/rogue-strands-poetry-reading.html
https://www.facebook.com/events/481827772654094/

Also you can donate here to the Trussell Trust for local foodbanks, as well as donating on the evening if you can come: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/roguestrands2019?fbclid=IwAR0ejtB1F9ICc7mAEKO3AQFOeLX4SR_Jq2MTJTTd0XedWTFjJygfDnqRjXA

Adam Hall's Quiller: podcasts & a new poem

I often wear different hats at different times (so to speak) and one of the hats I occasionally wear in recent years is that of spy fiction enthusiast.

Last year, I wrote a blog post about Quiller, the super-spy creation of Adam Hall, and some poetry echoes I thought I'd found in his novels. You can read it here: https://thestoneandthestar.blogspot.com/2018/08/adam-halls-quiller-meets-poems-in-my.html

More recently, I appeared on the excellent Spybrary podcast in a two-episode discussion about Quiller, with longtime Quiller fans and spy fiction experts Jeff Quest and Tim Stevens. You can listen to Spybrary on good podcast apps, and also find these episodes here:
https://spybrary.com/quiller/
https://spybrary.com/the-books-movie-and-tv-series-of-quiller-by-adam-hall-round-table-part-2-86/

In the second episode, I spoke a little bit about the literary echoes I thought I'd found in the Quiller novels. More than that, though - I went full-on spy poetry nerd and read an original poem I had written, inspired by Quiller. For those of you who wanted to see it on the page, or who are not sure they want to listen to me talk about spies for two hours, here it is. (Although I do recommend you check out the podcast. And read the books, of course.)


Q

after Adam Hall's 'Quiller'


Obsessed into being
sideways break
                                      Open the dawn

Divided
the order of man
                                      Don't lose the measure of man

Velocity's invitation
bitten to the quick 
                                      Reverse the earth

Still beating
little attack heart
                                      Light up the shadow





Poem © Clarissa Aykroyd, 2019

Rogue Strands reading (28 November) & a review of Island of Towers

I'm very pleased to say that I will be part of the 'Rogue Strands' poetry reading, organised by Matthew Stewart and Mat Riches, on Thursday 28 November at the King and Queen Pub on Foley Street, London W1W 6DL.

Details of the event and my fellow readers are on the poster above, and it will definitely be a great evening. If you would like to come along and cheer in a poetry-reading-appropriate way, that would be much appreciated. Entry is by donation to The Trussell Trust in aid of local foodbanks. Also, my new pamphlet Island of Towers will be available to purchase...

In other "me, me, me" news, poet and poetry blogger David Green recently wrote a thoughtful review of my pamphlet, which you can read here: https://davidgreenbooks.blogspot.com/2019/10/clarissa-aykroyd-island-of-towers.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR2zUqI6nZKV3UPxgrdTwaKlPmcnN1NpY3Pk82RvxH0IiT0auuFAlvOb3lQ

David Green always approaches his reviews and poetry commentary with care and thought, and this was evident here. I felt that he had noticed some things in my work which are latent rather than explicit, and I really appreciated that.