Shining threads

Shining threads

About Shining threads

Apart from the creative writing we were told to do at school, I officially started writing poetry off my own back during my GCSE exams at age 16. I had been very taken by Keats' poetry, particularly the line, 'Beauty is truth and truth is beauty', from 'Ode to a Grecian Urn', which rang a bell or two within me.

I continued to write through sixth-form (where encountered Blake, a strong influence), my 'year-off' and university. In my final year, a flat-mate even suggested that I should focus on poetry, rather than becoming 'a man of knowledge'. I'm not convinced there is a sharp dividing line between the two, but I think I know what she meant. It was not until my return to Cambridge in 2001, and a closing of the door to formal academic life (which hadn't done me a lot of good!), that I gradually picked up the will to stake my future on my writing. Poetry and creative writing have not been my only passions or activities by any means, but they have been a constant collection of shining threads running throughout the past decade of my life.

I have performed in Cambridge and London, at poetry groups, open mic nights and slam competitions. Notably I must mention CB1 poetry nights, Tom Sherrin's poetry group, Man on the Moon Open Mic (run by Steph Brown), Upbeat Open Mic (run by Alex Millar), Headstand (run by Patrick Widdess), and Glitterbest and Beat (run by Andreas Grant in London). All these events have provided me with poetic communities, populated with linguistic shamans, priests, insiders & outsiders, hippies, lovers, seekers, movers and shakers. I never got into the habit of learning my poetry (apart from one or two which really stood out as worth remembering). Getting a myspace page in 2007 was a watershed, and I became more and more prolific. I moved off myspace over the New Year, onto Blogger, which has been a great upgrade, with many added benefits. I have had one or two pieces published along the way - at the moment 'The Story of Truth and Fiction' is available in the Cambridge Creates book, which is on sale at various places in Cambridge, including the Black Cat Cafe.

This collection features poetry, short stories and a few pieces that don't exactly fit either of those genres. As is obvious, I use poetry to work out a lot of philosophical ideas that I grapple with, as well as providing a medium of devotion, satire and documentation.

If and when it makes sense, I will release a book or pamphlet or whatever. There is no point doing it before I'm ready and I'm still learning things on the runway.

Enjoy! (2010)

So Upbeat Open Mic sprouted into a Cambridge chapter of the poetry performance competition/showcase, Hammer and Tongue, and Fay Roberts eventually took over from Alex (a veritable coup!). I won a Cambridge round in 2012, with 'The Story of Truth and Fiction'. Becoming disillusioned with both the H&T format, and 105radio (which had replaced 209radio, with the same license but different team and structure), I jumped ship to Brighton, and ended up busking my poetry in 2013 and '14. Produced my first pamphlet, called 'Curved Lines', of which several dozen copies were sold (and will be rare-as-fuck collectors' items at some point!)

Life events, travel and the state of the UK all shifted me into both more political and more practical territory. Still continued to write poetry, but with less frequency and focus, and the essay writing on the blog 'Windows on Worlds' took on increasing importance as a means to communicate my vision, which poetry had helped shape.

So there we have it. (2018)