Abhaile: With Tracy Gaughan

Anne Ballard won first prize in the Poetry on the Lake Competition 2015 and 2018.

Carol McKay won the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship in 2010

A.C. Clarke’s A Troubling Woman (Oversteps Books), came out in 2017

Janice is co-owner and editor of Dempsey & Windle, an independent poetry publishing company

Nicola Harrison is the critically acclaimed author of: The Wordsmith’s Guide.

Dorset poet, Lesley Burt

Leonie Charlton’s travel memoir will be published by Sandstone Press in 2020.

Greystones poet, Deirdre McKernan Crosby

Poet and writing coach Anne Tannam

Roger McGough said ‘Chris consistently hits the right note’

Attracta Fahy was the October winner in Irish Times; New Irish Writing 2019.

Jean Taylor’s pamphlet ‘Deliberate Sunlight’ was published by Black Agnes Press in 2019.

Rebellion You pushed me through a closed door once in a flurry to get all done that had to be done. Then, you pushed a comb through my…

A SPELL IN THE ASYLUM Dear departed Mrs Latta mists over as I wave, ghost-flesh melted into nothing, the only almost-mother in my earthly world. Arm in…

Lynn Valentine has won and been placed in competitions including Glasgow Women’s Library Dragon’s Pen Award.

Baggage In the square   is a giant tree  hung with lights. Through the branches a blood moon  has come  and gone, and now  a chain smoking  player rasps  a wonderful song. The man next to…

ON SEEING SORLEY MACLEAN AT GLASGOW UNIVERSITY His words tread the polished wood, stroke the soft Gaelic of my printed page. Love poems in an old man’s…

Poet and playwright, Angus Strachan won the International James Joyce Award for dramatic monologue

David Ishaya Osu is the poetry editor of Panorama: The Journal of Intelligent Travel.

Bob Beagrie is a senior lecturer in creative writing at Teesside University.

Sarah Davies has been writing from childhood, with gaps for life stuff.

Anne McDonald is a creative writing teacher.

Ceinwen Haydon’s first chapbook was published in July 2019: ‘Cerddi Bach’ [Little Poems], Hedgehog Press.

Returning to The Blue Nib, Matthew James Friday.

Tony Curtis is Emeritus Professor of Poetry at the University of South Wales

Member of Forest Poets, Becky Kingsnorth

OTTER An otter appears from the skein of bubbles on the water’s surface  popping its head up from the shadow snag of fallen trees I’m surprised to…

LYING IN BED Early morning brings me to my senses Another day to survive the madness of me Can I lie here some more? It seems I’m flying…

Irish Poet Amy Barry

When Girls Grew Fists  & Boys Wore Make-Up   Stepping over the outline of sleeping baby skinheads scattered  under railway tunnels  glue sniffed on cycle tracks;   In a…

BACK TO THE GREENHOUSE I could even now go back there, pass winter on the southern coast, tend tomatoes in greenhouses so hot you dunk your vest then…

The Blue Nib are much saddened at the news of Kevin Griffin’s passing and our thoughts are with his friends and family.

Took the moon  I reached out and took the moon in my hand. I know others think she’s still there in the blueblack sky lighting the world like…

Helen Angell is a poetry and non-fiction writer based in South Yorkshire. She has had poems published in Route 57, Medea and Esoterica. Winner…

The Settlement I’d borrowed some of your words – ‘wrong’, ‘useless’, ‘stupid’, ‘useless’ (seem to have two of those – dunno – maybe one’s a hand-me-down from your Mum.) You…

Stitching America (for Gloria) It started at Kansas, roughly centre, and two strands of blue for back stitches: the calm, smooth line of a river. At each stitch, it…