The Girl From Midfoxfields

The Girl from Midfox outer cover set

Michael W Thomas’s latest collection of poems is available in both print and eBook versions from Black Pear and Amazon.

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For the eBook click here.

About the Author

“Since 2004, Dr. Michael Wyndham Thomas has helped develop and spearhead the workshops for the Key West Robert Frost Poetry Festival. His hands-on teaching skills make poetry exciting for even the novice; his depth of knowledge is impressive.

Because he has endeared himself to everyone associated with the festival—and to many others who live on this island at the southernmost point in the United States—Michael is fondly referred to as the Poet at Large in the Conch Republic Navy”– Barbara Bowers, writer and journalist.

Many thanks from The Robert Frost Poetry Festival Committee, Key West, Florida.
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Michael Wyndham Thomas is an Irish-British writer and lived in Canada for a number of years. He now lives in Worcestershire. He is an internationally-known poet, fiction-writer, dramatist and musician. His poetry, prose and scripts have appeared in Critical Survey, English, The English Review, Fire, The Interpreter’s House, Iron, The London Magazine, Other Poetry, Pennine Platform, Stand, Staple and The Swansea Review (UK), as well as Poetry Salzburg Review and The National Gazette (Tirana), Alive!, From the Horse’s Mouth, Grain and Reflections (Canada), Etchings (Australia),The Black Mountain Review and Irish University Review (Ireland) and The Antioch Review, Magazine Six, Modern Haiku, Muscadine Lines and The Secret of Salt (USA). He also reviews for Other Poetry (Durham, UK), Poetry Nottingham (UK), Under The Radar (Rugby, UK) and The Journal of American Haiku (Toronto). His most recent reviews have appeared in The London Magazine and the TLS.

Since April, 2004, Michael has been poet-in-residence at the annual Robert Frost Poetry Festival, Key West, Florida. In consequence, he is Poet-at-Large in the Navy of the Conch Republic of Key West. Other recent events outside the UK include readings at Linnaeus University, Sweden and at Tampere University, Finland. Most recently, he gave the keynote address at Poems Are Being Written, a conference on contemporary poetry at the University of Portsmouth, November 2013.

Michael’s novel Pilgrims at the White Horizon was published by TQF, September 2013, and his poetry collection Batmans Hill, South Staffs was published by Flipped Eye International editions, December 2013.

He is available for readings, workshops and seminars on both the practice and the theory of poetry writing.

Website: www.michaelwthomas.co.uk

E-mail: michaelw.thomas@btinternet.com
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What the critics say about Michael W. Thomas’s poetry:

‘Michael Thomas’ poems are rich with the details of past and present lives.  They explore the wildest possibilities of those lives with passion and humour.’
–Alison Brackenbury.

‘Michael W. Thomas’s poetry shows a real sense of exploration and discrimination of fine states of feeling…. Thomas cuts away all dead weight, creating a sense of economy with richness, and is not afraid of using a phrase that in a lesser craftsman’s hands would bring a sneer…. His language is vigorous and street-wise and his poetic tools work on experience in Coleridgean mode, dissolving, diffusing, dissipating in order to create a surprising world.’
–Peter de Ville, Poetry Salzburg Review.

‘Thomas is a poet who deals with the muscular and descriptive qualities of language…. The poetry often launches itself at the reader in a way that is both terse and direct [and] perhaps more sensory than sensual. Metaphor is often employed in a strange and imaginative way. Many of the poems deal with the domestic sphere, but Thomas also writes about unusual or imagined scenarios [and] is not afraid to write about many different subjects.’
–Maria Taylor, Under The Radar.

‘What is this man doing to me? I want easy references, polite allusions. I don’t want my thoughts to be shattered, to fall down like a wet wave! Michael Thomas tears the traditions of metaphors and similes apart. One feels each word took him hours to select before he cemented it in place; he has complete control of his medium. An American poet would shun some of his subjects—but I know my blood ran cold and then hot when I read [the poems] carefully. For me, they tossed Eliot’s spoonfuls on the rug and announced the new ‘Howl!’ Always his language is terse and efficient. No words are wasted on poetical indulgences.’
–Kirby Congdon, US poet, dramatist, editor and associate of the Beat Poets; author of Selected Poems and Prose Poems and New Mystic, Connecticut, Sixty-Five Years Ago.

‘The language throughout has a grit and tactility that seems distinctly British to this American ear. It has a bite which is, however, always without animus, ironic rather than sarcastic. These are poems that show abundant compassion, feeling for family, and affectionate regard for all the various characters Thomas encounters and describes.’
–Barry George, US poet and haiku master, author of Wrecking Ball and Other Urban Haiku, instructor at Spalding MFA Summer Residency, Louisville, Kentucky.

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Chatterton

Chatterton Front Cover–Stretton

GREAT NEWS! Chatterton is out as an eBook! To read on Kindle and other platforms click here.

A limited first edition of 50 copies of this pamphlet signed by the author. PAPERBACK VERSION–SOLD OUT!

Black Pear Press published ‘Chatterton’, a series of poems about the 17 year old starving poet in a garret, Thomas Chatterton. Did he commit suicide or was it an accidental death? You decide.

Polly Stretton has created a series of poems about Thomas Chatterton from the viewpoints of those who loved or were somehow influenced by him, gathered around the foot of his deathbed, remembering and commenting on his life.

Polly says, ‘I’ve loved the Henry Wallis painting (shown on the pamphlet cover) since I studied the pre-Raphaelites – it’s been the inspiration for this series.’

Award winning novelist, Carrie Rubin said, ‘Chatterton – A Series of Poems explores loved ones’ possible reactions to young Thomas Chatterton’s death, using Henry Wallis’s painting Death of  Chatterton as a launching point. The verses are wonderfully visceral, and I enjoyed learning about this tragic young lad. The poem by “The Mother” about broke my heart. Only Ms. Stretton could get me to read a collection of themed poems. And I’m so glad I did!’

Chris Moran wrote to say, ‘Just to let you know your books arrived and I have totally devoured mine! I shall read it again and again. I’m looking forward to sending it to my friend in America…’

Poet Alex Carr-Malcolm said, ‘If you haven’t already ordered a copy, I can thoroughly recommend this collection. What a unique idea to look at many viewpoints. Each with their own take on the life and death of Chatterton. Beautiful poetry, an anthology that you will delve into again and again. Thought provoking and profound – a must for every collection.’

Writer Jenifer Granger said ‘This series puts me in mind of Russian poetry, in the best possible sense.’

Chatterton was performed by writers at 42 Worcester 30th April 2014, at Coach House Writers 1st May 2014 and by writers from Worcester Writers’ Circle 12th June 2014.

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Polly Stretton has performed her poetry at spoken word events such as Worcester SpeakEasy, 42Worcester, Mouth & Music, and at The Poetry Place in Covent Garden. Her writing has been published in many anthologies, most recently, Slants of Light, The Paragram Poetry Prize Anthology in which she was shortlisted with her poem Latent. Last year she was published in The dVerse Anthology: Voices of Contemporary World Poetry. Polly released the first edition of Girl’s Got Rhythm in 2012 and the second edition in 2014.

 

Look out Kidderminster! Black Pear Press at BHG!

If you missed our Launch event in December, here’s a second chance. Black Pear Press will launch their Short Stories Anthology 16:30 Sunday 16 March in Kidderminster DY10 1EW at The BHG (Boar’s Head Gallery), the venue used for Mouth & Music.

The stories in the anthology reflect the diverse talents of people living and writing in Worcestershire, the Black Pear County.

Black Pear Press will regularly publish novels, poetry and short stories, with some of its publications originating from the Worcestershire LitFest & Fringe.

There will be a 500-word or less extract from each contributor listed below. Following the readings there will be book signings. We hope you’ll relax and enjoy a chat with all who’ve been involved 🙂

The writers / readers are:

Mike Alma
Kevin Brooke
Tim Butler
Alan Durham
Tana Durham
Rod Griffiths
Tony Judge
Andy Kirk
Damon Lord
Alison May
Andrew Owens
Dunstan Power
Polly Stretton
Suz Winspear

We’ll look forward to seeing you there.

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Flashes of Fiction

Flashes of Fiction Front Cover 2013

As Mike Alma says, ‘You are getting 73 … yes, 73 different stories in one book.” All this for just £5.00 plus P&P. Following our fabulous launch event, UK customers can get the anthology ‘Flashes of Fiction’ via PayPal Buy Now Button with Credit Cards

An eBook is available: eBook version

LitFest Flash Anthology Launch

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Worcestershire LitFest and Fringe is launching the second Flash Fiction anthology from writers in the WLF Flash Fiction competition. Black Pear Press is pleased to publish this anthology. Selected writers will be reading their Flashes Sunday 19 January 2014, starting at 4pm.

Competition organiser and judge, Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn, and judge Calum Kerr, will be at Drummonds, The Swan With Two Nicks, 28 New Street, Worcester WR5 1BU. We may be treated to one or two of their own Flashes!

Copies of the anthology will be available – perfect gifts throughout the year – come along to the launch event and get yours signed by the authors!

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Find, like and follow Black Pear Press at www.blackpear.net and www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Pear-Press

Black Pear Anthology – Paperback and eBook

Anthology Front Cover kdp

UK customers can get ‘Short Stories from Black Pear’ via PayPal.  You are getting 34 different short stories by talented writers in one book.

UK postage:Buy Now Button with Credit Cards

In the UK, follow this link for the paperback from Amazon: Short Stories from Black Pear Vol 1 and this link for the eBook version: Short Stories from Black Pear Vol 1

A brilliant book to take on the train or for when you’re waiting to do something else – so good to have a set of short stories to hand that you can dip in and out of…

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