Hugo Williams - From-the-Dialysis Ward Poems

A few of you know I got registered with diabetes several years ago which has had some impact on my performing poetry nowadays (although not writing), but until recently despite the fact I have read / heard some stirring poetry by Rosie Garland and Jackie Hagan for example about health problems / major changes in their lives, I have never felt the need to write anything about diabetes.

Whether this was down to the fact, I just didn't fancy doing it preferring to battle on with this in my own way or always had other things I wanted to write about, I'll leave that for you to conclude for yourself.

However, either way my sister for my birthday a few days got for me a copy of the new Hugo Williams poetry book 'I knew the bride' full well knowing I had a fan of his for years since university with his book 'Billy's Rain'. Although that book and his two books that have followed since 'Dear Room' and 'West End Final' have been among some of my favourite poetry books, there is a sequence in his new book which goes for 16 poems I seem to recall called ‘from-the-dialysis ward’which has really shook me up. Now although of course these are completely different illnesses, there is something about this length sequence which really hit me hard and has over last night and today seriously started writing poetry made me start writing about my battles with diabetes for the first time.

Not going to calm these will be masterpieces or indeed even pieces I may choose to share, perform or submit for publications, but the impact of these poems has for the first time made me realise I can write about this and not just put them in a box afterwards in shame almost. 

Some of the pieces from this sequence can be read here (http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n02/hugo-williams/from-the-dialysis-ward)

And the facebook that talks about Hugo Williams struggles in more depth can be read here https://www.facebook.com/HugoWilliamsKidney?fref=ts

(Picture of Mr Williams borrowed from the Guardian - http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2005/jun/04/weekend7.weekend4)

Ghost Story (Napwrimo Story) Complete Chapters

As soon of you know I have recently completed Napwrimo (National Poetry Writing Month) for 2014 doing it on a different theme - i.e. still writing at least a poem a day but this year trying to tell it as a full story.

This link lets you see all of the links for all of the poems with a list of the guest list all tagged amongside the poems.

I have had a few submissions in afterwards which may well be appearing as additional pieces, but will keep you informed.

Latest News and Views - 22 April 2014

Dear all;

Little snip while work carries on my Napwrimo Poetry blog 'Ghost Story' (http://napowrimo2014.blogspot.com/), but today I got advised viva email Ariadne's Thread has just accepted two of my poems for publication in May and two more have been accepted for publication in relation to Psoriasis research with a reading next Wednesday I believe. My first reading this year. Will feel weird performing again! lol but will keep you all advised when I know more.

Also my work on Twisted Promise with P.R. Mcdowell is due to pick up again soon. Will keep you informed but we are quite excited over this. 

Ghost Story Napwrimo Blog

My Ghost Story Blog as wrote is going great guns for NapWrimo.

You can read it here http://napowrimo2014.blogspot.co.uk/

Writing Process Blog

As referred to by Keir Thomas, publisher of the excellent Puppywolf Press (whose books are well worth checking out), here is my writing process blog.

1. What am I working on?

After a quiet spell, business as my good friend Jeff Dawson (aka Jeffarama!) says business is definitely picking up.

At the moment, I finished off recently and have just published a split book ‘Europa’ with Oldham based writer, Nick Armbrister who covers the effect war has on the ordinary man. My interest in this kind of war poetry came a few years during the writing of my last split book ‘A means to an End’ when I found out some information about a uncle of mine ‘Percy’ who was killed in the second world war, and in 2013 after watching a film with my good lady, Cathy called ‘An film unfinished’ which talked about the death camps during the second world war, my interest grew slowly on it and after talking to Nick about it at the open mike night I co run ‘Guitar and Verse’ (which is temporary on hold), it became apparent we both had similar interests and over the period of around 9 months, the structure of this book took hold.

Otherwise, straight after that, I am now writing ‘Ghost Story’, a internet based poetic story kind of thriller told over 30 days in the style of Napwrimo, where you have to write a poem a day over 30 days. I managed it for the last two years as a bit of fun to produce good drafts, but this year decided to take it further and attempt to do something I’d always want to do – write a long narrative split into short poems and invite other people to introduce their own chapters into it or provide their own ghost stories.

After that – I may well probably sleep, but my second full length book ‘The End of Summer’ is bubbling along slowly (hopeful for 2015 or 2016) and I have a sequence called ‘Mystery Stories’ is forthcoming from Orgami Press maybe for May or June and me and a young writer called P.R. Mcdowell are onto the third part of a play, and maybe if time some gigs for my band ‘A Means to an End’ at a few festivals.  

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

Several ways I guess, possibly for the variety of the work I produce and the way I always strive to move in constant new directions.

When I first entered the poetry world be it for a better word in 2007 / 2008, all I wanted to do was write comedy and make people smile. As this developed into 2009 and 2010, I started slipping in more serious stuff, and by the time I got into 2011 when my spoken word band ‘A Means to an End’ were really rocking – it was generally more serious stuff, focusing on history in my local area and then currently ghost stories which then eventually to what I am writing now.

3. Why do I write what I do?

A lot of it has developed naturally I guess over the years from when I started very humble like when I was 10 or 11 (I still have those pieces too – they are terrible but I remember them well) into my late 20’s when I went to university (which didn’t do much favours at the time) where I tried to write two novels, but struggled because of dyspraxia which doesn’t really affect me with poetry and a play or two (Still working on this slowly) but writing poetry and to a  degree songs is like fitting my hands into gloves – it’s a perfect fit.


4. How does my writing process work?

Usually when I am travelling if I am honest. Because I have never driven, when I am going to and from work more often than not if you see me on the bus or train, I often will be jamming around with some words in some form or the other and the ambience – listening to people always kinds of inspires me.

I rarely plan if I am honest. For example, ‘Europa’ was never really planned – it just came naturally over 9 months more often that not with the stories still buzzing in my head from books / films / radio programmes all buzzing in my head all the way to and from work.

‘Ghost Story’ is more of a challenge like trying to write a novel with only a thin guideline to follow over a series of poems, which does need planning out so it covers the full of April but that’s what I like about writing – the very fact that I keep wanting to explore other topics / other ways. In the future, for example I would love to write a children’s poetry book which is a totally different language and write a book about my hometown, Stretford. Without these challenges, I would probably pack it in and do something else.

‘Europa’ can be bought from http://www.lulu.com/shop/andy-n-and-nick-armbrister/europa-in-the-dark-valley-between-the-world-wars/paperback/product-21540773.html

‘Ghost Story’ can be read daily at http://napowrimo2014.blogspot.co.uk/

Mystery Stories will be available from Origami press in May or June at http://www.origamipoems.com/

My official website is http://www.andyn.org.uk

Next Poets to take us through their writing journeys will be Jeffarama!, P.R. McDowell and Nick Armbrister

New Publication / Publishing Opportunity

As several samples previously blogged.. 

 (http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=41231) Counting to Ten,

 

(http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=41341) Prisoners of War and

 

(http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=41505) - Prisoners of War II)

 

my new collection ‘Europa - In The Dark Valley Between The World Wars (co wrote with Nick Armbrister) has now been published viva Lulu.com on (http://www.lulu.com/shop/andy-n-and-nick-armbrister/europa-in-the-dark-valley-between-the-world-wars/paperback/product-21540773.html)

With amazon status and ebay status etc to follow or directly through myself viva my email address – aen1mpo@yahoo.co.uk

For £5.

 

Next up, as part of NaPoWriMo  (National Poetry Writing Month - http://www.napowrimo.net/) I have created a  NaPoWriMo blog for this year which can be read at http://napowrimo2014.blogspot.co.uk/ with a difference where the blog will contain (hopefully) 30 poems connected into the same story called ‘Ghost Story’ which will be about a meet up with a man called Andy and a young lady called Michelle who is not quite what she seems.

 

The difference with this story, as each poem is released on a daily basis is I am encountering people to send in poems linked in within the world of the story or other ghost stories / poems.

 

Email me on aen1mpo@yahoo.co.uk for more details.

Latest News - 4th March 2014

After a bright, bright day yesterday. Today has been back to the normal slush of the end of Winter, but hopefully it will pick up again soon and will reflect in my writing  with a nice dose of colour and stuff.

Work wise, since I last wrote things have been plodding along at a nice pace and my band ‘A means to an End’ should be meeting up again for our first rehearsal of the year with at least one, maybe two new pieces to follow from it which I am hopeful will start replacing and adding to some of our favourites of ‘Ever Wondered’, ‘Leaving Belfast’ and ‘Return to Kemptown’ etc.

Gigswise, nothing pencilled in as of yet for a bit but we are awaiting for responses regarding about six things (Had a rejection from Chorlton Arts Festival which has probably helped me decide not to bother applying with them again) but am hopeful of several gigs throughout the early Summer into later Autumn.

Poetry gig wise, I don’t have anything booked in and after some of the shows I went to last year where without slagging off the shows in question which most of which are well run, my interest has dropped off at least temporary performing in most of them, and that been the case have decided it may well be time for me to sit down and carry on in a different direction from performing for a bit. I don’t doubt I will be back however as I have about three pieces which I would love to perform but I am not chasing the dragon at the moment, rather letting it come after me for a bit.

Writing wise itself, this doesn’t mean I have stopped writing. After been ill at the beginning of January, I have wrote a fair chunk of material. One of which ‘Curtain Call’ (co wrote with Jeff) am hopeful of been a future ‘A means to an End’ show stopper.

Several others are going to be in my forthcoming anti war poetry split book with Nick Armbister ‘Europa’ (Now finished once we have the back cover slightly amended and of which selected samples of my pieces have been getting blogged on www.writeoutloud.net/blogs/andyn).

In addition, a new poem called ‘Write Out Loud’ has appeared in Estuary: A literary magazine issue and can be downloaded from http://estuarymagazine.weebly.com/read-an-issue.html and three other new pieces ‘Magic II’, ‘Translation’ and ‘Disappear’ (At least two of which will appear in my next full length book ‘The End of Summer’ ) have appeared in Beyond Imagination ‘(https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/409173).

I have submissions pending with a number of other publications including some for sequences, so am hopeful of other publications will follow in due course including maybe even a home for my next full length book ‘The End of Summer’ which has took maybe a year longer than I would have liked but of which I am very pleased with now.

Lastly, a little more hush hush - work is about half done also on a book under a different name I am working on. The more alert people among my friends on facebook may spot what name it is, but it is looking good like the weather outside has woke up again. (Picture taken outside Cathy's flat before when the sun went down).