Irisi - Four poems

 Hello!

 I'm happy to announce that four of my poems - "How you arrived", "Scattered", "Portrait" and "Lucy" - have been published in Irisi. The photo of palm trees is also mine, and was taken in Vigo. 

 I hope you enjoy my work.

 Liz x

Now Then - Word Life 54 and Oranges

 Hello!

 May's issue of Now Then Manchester is here, and I enjoyed curating the Word Life section. This month I chose the theme of "Friendship".

 My poem "Oranges" features, along with pieces from Kristi Rose, Hannah Downs, Glen Sorestad, Nasima Begum, Jake Ormrod, Karen Dennison, Paul Waring and Kersten Christianson.

 There are also listings for literary events and workshops around Manchester. If you live in the area perhaps you will find one you like, or something new to try.

 I hope you enjoy Issue 54.

 Liz x

The Cardiff Review - Before breakfast

 Hello!

 I am very happy that my poem "Before breakfast" has been chosen for publication in The Cardiff Review. It will be in the Spring 2018 issue, which is also their first Queer Issue and is now available to pre-order.

 I hope you enjoy it.

 Liz x

News - March and April 2018

 Hello!

 March and April were slightly surreal months this year, starting very cold and ending very warm. In Manchester we seemed to switch overnight from snow and ice to sun and blossoms.

 I worked hard towards my degree and celebrated my twenty-fourth birthday and Earth Day. I tried new baking and film clubs, enjoyed the LGBT Foundation's Sugar and Spice Festival, and I feel I grew a lot. I also saw some writing milestones and achievements.

 I performed at Verbose, a monthly spoken word night in Manchester, and read some of my poems at the Women on Top event at the LGBT Foundation. My poem "Soap" was featured in Open Mind Manchester's Mind Full of Art exhibition and anthology.

 I won Second Prize in Manchester Global Health Society's 2018 Global Health Poetry Competition, and read my poem, "Perpignan sestina", at the awards ceremony. My article "What I learnt from starting a literary journal" was nominated for the Mancunion's Article of the Year.

 I took part in my second residential at Highgreen Arts in Northumberland, part of my prize for being chosen as a New North Poet at the 2017 Northern Writers' Awards. I was mentored by Clare Pollard and did a workshop with Antony Dunn, and overall, it was a lovely weekend.

 I reviewed Niall Horan at the 02 Apollo for The Mancunion and Peter Bognanni's novel Things I'm Seeing Without You for Cuckoo Review. I continue to curate Word Life: March's issue had the theme of "Hope" and April's the theme of "Travel", with the latter featuring my poem "In Cambridge".

 My flash piece "Maybe/Things to work on" was published in Visual Verse, and I had a poem accepted by the beautiful hand-stitched journal Coast to Coast to Coast. I reached 100,000 page views on my travel blog, Neither here nor there.

 With summer on its way, hopefully there are even more exciting times to come.

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x

Mind Full of Art

 Hello!

 I was very happy to have my poem "Soap" chosen for inclusion in Open Mind Manchester's Mind Full of Art project. The poem was featured in an exhibition on mental health and wellbeing at the University of Manchester, as well as in the Mind Full of Art anthology.

 Our mental health is so important, and all too often in today's society it is neglected. Helping to raise awareness about it was an honour.

 Liz x

The Open Mouse - Urania

 Hello!

 My poem "Urania" has been published at The Open Mouse. It was inspired by my visit to Lyon while I was living in Avignon.

 I hope you enjoy it.

 Liz x

Second Highgreen Arts residential

 Hello!

 As a winner of the New North Poets Prize at last year's Northern Writers' Awards, I was invited to take part in two residentials at Highgreen Arts, in rural Northumberland. The first residential was in September; the second was last week. I had a really enjoyable and memorable time there.

 Highgreen is an elegant and comfy old manor house. The five New North Poets and our mentor, Clare Pollard, spent many an hour sitting around the fire doing writing activities and discussing and reading poetry. We also had a full-day workshop with the poet Antony Dunn, which was very useful.

 I walked a lot, and found the local nature calming and inspiring. We enjoyed delicious veggie food and divine desserts - apple crumble, chocolate brownie, poached pear. We had lightning one night, which in the total darkness of the countryside was very dramatic. I would later write a poem about it.

 Overall, it was a lovely weekend in great company. I hope to do more residentials in the future.

 Liz x