I've been having a busy time with poetry recently, and for the first time in years all my 'finished' poems (are poems ever really finished?) are out being considered for publication in magazines and competitions. I am hoping that this means I'll have the feeling of more space to write new ones. Writing poetry is a strange and unpredictable occupation, I find. They don't come on demand and there is something mysterious about the conditions that they like to appear in.

Between the winter solstice and the auld new year (11 January) I'd be delighted if my poetry will bring some light to the dark days, and to make that more possible, I'm selling a bundle of three poetry books/pamphlets at a bargain price: click here for more details.

I have had several poems published in recent weeks. 'Lockdown' is in Lockdown's Lit's third selection.  There are four of mine in the recent Northwords Now, including 'You wouldn't want to wrestle with a walrus', which I was invited to read for Hugh MacMillan's wonderful 'pestilence poems' podcast here. I also have poems in Acumen, Tears in the Fence and in the 'Joy' issue of PENning, the Scottish PEN magazine.  I hope these will bring some pleasure, and it's a lovely feeling to be an active player in the poetry scene again after years of novelism.

I wish everyone a lovely, gentle winter solstice and hope that as the light comes back in the Northern hemisphere it will bring a happier new year for you all.