In celebration of all things spooky, here’s a photo of the painting I did for the cover art work for my novella, Zombie Reflux.
Pretty gory, but then again I am a huge horror fan. I did the initial sketch in pencil, then painted over with acrylic – the whole thing took me about 2 hours in A3 size.
My poet hubby’s latest poem is published in The Open Mouse today. The first time I read this one it made me laugh. Don’t we all enter into a realm of denial from time to time? It’s human nature to wrap ourselves in a bit of self-made cotton wool from time to time. But if we don’t face facts sooner or later, what happens to that fabric? The material becomes so constrictive we can never escape and are trapped! Pity then those who would make what can’t be denied into something profound. Coots are noisy. But are they really simple and harmless? I wouldn’t want to be bitten by one!
Well, I Never
A woman of a certain age
Resident in an uncertain Age
Of sociological and climate change
Watched a coot bathe in a pond
While she dwelled on how she’d changed
Since her school leaving days
And her recent cheerlessness had quite gone
Because she was wearing a particular outfit
That gave hints to her true inner character
If anyone had been looking
Which they hadn’t been
And when she passed on, years later
No one missed her
But she didn’t believe that would’ve been possible
Looking at that coot
Self-deception was panacea
Copyright © Joseph Robert 2014
Joseph Robert’s poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Decanto, Unlikely Stories, Dead Snakes, The Journal, Mistress Quickly’s Bed, Pyrokinection, The Commonline Journal, Mudjob, Spinozablue, Black Mirror, Message in a Bottle, Bluepepper, Eunoia Review, Inclement, Leaves of Ink and the Insert Coin Here anthology. His joint poetry chapbook with his…
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[Updated 15 August 2018: At the time this post was written in 2014, the Melita Hume Prize was free to enter and Eyewear Publishing did not charge any submission fees. In 2018 Eyewear Publishing now charges writers to submit work. Please note that at the time Leilanie Stewart was longlisted for the Melita Hume Prize in 2014, and Joseph Robert longlisted for the Melita Hume Prize in 2015, there were no submission fees to enter. Furthermore, there were no submission fees when ‘A Model Archaeologist’ was published in 2015.]
My debut poetry pamphlet, A Model Archaeologist (available from my publisher Eyewear Publishing and from my online store Meandi Books) now has a scheduled publication date of June 2015. It’ll be the 8th publication in the Eyewear Publishing 20/20 pamphlet series. The pamphlets are beautifully produced and available for £5.
How did I find out about Eyewear Publishing?
Writers write - a photo by Joseph Robert
Day job. More often than not, writers have a love-hate relationship with their full time work. Whenever I have one of those frustrating ‘argh’ moments, thinking about all the stories and poems I could be writing instead of working a nine-to-five, it helps me to read around and hear other writers thoughts on the good old day job. A recent one I read that I could definitely relate to is good to check out here.
So, what is my own advice that keeps me focusing on the creative pursuits amidst the daily grind? It all boils down to a simple list:
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Eternity in a Chasm is my latest poetry video to celebrate National Poetry Day. It was first published in Decanto Magazine in December 2011.
This one was recorded at the Basilica Agios Stefanos in Kos, Greece. The ruins date to the early Christian period, a beautiful historical setting for my reading.
Joseph Robert and I recorded the video early in the morning before the first tourists could come along. Having it to ourselves added an ethereal serenity to the piece, which was perfect for the tone of the piece. Granted, the location wasn’t a dark hypogeum to fit the poem, but too gorgeous a site not to film there!
Recently at the Free Verse Fair while browsing the many stalls of books, I came across a booklet packaged in a refreshingly different form. Starry Clock by poet Jesse Glass (zimZalla) is a miniature handmade play written in poetic form and presented inside a cardboard coffin. Also provided in the coffin was a bracelet made from a string of brightly coloured skulls and a tiny rubber skeleton with a loop of string to hang it from a dashboard, or attach it to a mobile phone.
Starry Clock itself was written in an unusual format; the letters were displayed backwards and a tiny mirror was provided along with the booklet in order to read the text as normal. What a fantastic idea! Having spoken to the poet, Jesse Glass, I discovered that his method of presentation was inspired by
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Here is my latest update of free competitions for young people aged between 12 and 21. As I’ve said in previous posts, there’s no better way for a novice writer to get started in the literary world than competitions. The benefits of winning or being shortlisted are numerous – apart from a possible cash prize, there’s the chance to see your work in print, not to mention building your CV. The odds of winning the top prize might be similar to a lottery win, but getting shortlisted or recognised are more realistic. I once mentored a young man in sixth form who went on to win a prize in a competition run by Young Poets – he was delighted to see his work appear in an anthology along with other shortlisted poets. Maybe you might win one of the top prizes too – read the guidelines on the individual websites carefully and always send your best stuff. And since the competitions are free anyway, what have you got to lose?
Benjamin Franklin Literary Prize
Writing classes for Kids – competitions
Leilanie Stewart is a widely published writer and poet. In addition to promoting her own work, she has run creative writing workshops for gifted and talented London secondary school students aged 12 to 18 and is currently a poetry editor for Ashvamegh International Literary Journal. She is married to the writer and poet, Joseph Robert.
Here’s my latest round-up of freebie writing competitions for adults to enter (September to December 2014). I’ve tried to find the general competitions that are suitable for most people to enter. I’m a firm believer in equal opportunities for everyone, but sometimes there might be age limits on competitions, so it’s better to read all the guidelines carefully. Competitions are always a good place for a novice writer to start out, so if you’re just beginning to dip your toes into the world of writing then check out these links and make sure to have envelopes and stamps at the ready… good luck!
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Last weekend the Free Verse Fair was held at Conway Hall in Holborn, London. There were 64 stalls on the day showcasing new authors and selling discounted magazines – Acumen Publications had slashed their prices from £5.50 to £2. Eyewear Publishing were selling 3 for £20 on their books and launching new authors from the 20/20 pamphlet series, which will be publishing my collection (A Model Archaeologist) early next year too.
There were also readings in the Brockway Room of Conway Hall and outside in the Garden cafe in Red Lion square. As a former expat living in Japan I enjoyed the readings
September starts with my flash fiction, Glen Abbot and the Green Man, published in Weirdyear Magazine. As the magazine title suggests, this publisher caters to flash fiction of the stranger kind.
