Some books begin with a plot.
This one begins with a kettle.
Poetry in a Northern Kitchen is my next poetry collection/book, and over the coming months I’ll be sharing some of the memories, places and stories that inspired it—without giving away the poems themselves.
This isn’t a book about famous people or extraordinary lives.
It’s about ordinary people.
The people who quietly held families together.
The neighbours who always knew what was happening before anyone else.
The dads who could fix almost anything.
The mums who somehow made a meal appear, even when money was tight.
It’s about childhood adventures, bus rides, seaside trips, dinner ladies, football in the park, family gatherings and the little moments that often disappear unnoticed with time.
These are the memories that shaped me.
As I work towards publishing the book this Christmas, I’d love to take you behind the scenes. I’ll be sharing photographs, family memories, snippets of Northern life and the stories behind the collection.
No spoilers.
No poems from the manuscript.
Just a glimpse into the world that inspired them.
My hope is that these blogs will do more than introduce a book.
I hope they’ll spark memories of your own.
Perhaps you’ll remember a neighbour who always had their front door open.
A grandparent who made the best Sunday dinner.
The excitement of a summer trip to the seaside.
Or simply the comfort of sitting in a warm kitchen while the kettle boiled and life carried on around you.
The more I write this collection, the more I realise it isn’t only my story.
It’s about a generation.
A way of life.
And the ordinary moments that deserve to be remembered.
So, until Christmas, pull up a chair.
The kettle’s on.
Welcome to Poetry in a Northern Kitchen.
Thank you for reading
Your DislexicPoet 🖤