Anna Shelton
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annashelton.bsky.social
Anna Shelton
@annashelton.bsky.social
890 followers 570 following 140 posts
Mum of 3, teacher, writer, editor. My pamphlet was longlisted in the Disabled Poets Prize 2025. Poems in @AfterPoetry @PropelMagazine @Covenpoetry @streetcakemag @SidhePress Performed my song Black Fen Club Blues at the Cambridge Folk Festival.
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annashelton.bsky.social
What a night at the 50th anniversary of the Cambridge Poetry Festival!
July 13, 2025 at 10:33 AM
annashelton.bsky.social
Creative genius middle son spent the day in London practising graffiti stencil art. It reads, ‘To the future, You’re Welcome, from us.’ Love seeing his tag signature out in the world. ❤️🙌
Graffiti that says, ‘To the future, You’re welcome, from us,’ against a backdrop of colourful spray paint. Middle son doing his graffiti.
July 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
It’s safe to say we smashed it at last night’s CB1 poetry reading! A phenomenal evening sharing poems workshopped in our Cambridge Seminar group with Stav Poleg. Absolutely loved reading alongside my fabulous friends. 🙌👏😘
June 2, 2025 at 10:06 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Delighted to be a Spotlighted Poet this Sunday at CB1 poetry alongside my fabulous Cambridge feedback group. Come along to watch or sign up for the open mic!
May 30, 2025 at 1:07 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Brilliant evening at the Magma competition Reading last night. Popped to the poetry library to read Grassroots issue first, filled with stunning poems, like this one by Lianne O Hara. 💔
A photo of a selection of poetry journals in front of the rainbow coloured stacks at the poetry library in the south bank. A photo of Lianne O Hara’s poem ‘ helpline’
May 29, 2025 at 10:37 AM
annashelton.bsky.social
Hilarious evening catching up with the fabulous Laurie Bolger & Harry Baker. Haven’t laughed that much since I last saw Harry. These two ought to be available on prescription. Like a comedy-poetry pill. My HRT does a great job, but an evening with Harry & Laurie fills your poetry soul. ❤️😘🙌
Laurie and Anna grinning together behind Laurie’s book signing desk. Laurie Bolger reading at the Cambridge Junction Harry Baker reading at the Cambridge Junction Laurie and Anna grinning with thumbs up behind all Laurie’s books at the book signing.
May 18, 2025 at 8:10 AM
annashelton.bsky.social
Wonderful to meet @pascalepetit.bsky.social this week at Cam Lit Fest. I’m still processing the brilliant discussion that followed a phenomenal set of readings from Pascale and Gwyneth. 👌🙌👏👏👏❤️
A photo of Pascale Petit in her beautiful orange embroidered shirt over a red dress, with Anna Shelton in a green dress, at Newnham College. Gwyneth Lewis reading from her book Pascale Petit reading from her book Beast Pascale Petit and Gwyneth Lewis in conversation with Dame Gillian Beer.
April 26, 2025 at 6:45 AM
annashelton.bsky.social
Made it into the garden for the sunny Spring equinox. Began this mesmerising book by @pascalepetit.bsky.social read every snatched second this afternoon, carried it in my hand -my thumb as bookmark- during the school run. Literally couldn’t put it down. Absolutely stunning. #BrokenLegBookClub
A photo of Pascale Petit’s book ‘My Hummingbird Father’ held by Anna Shelton next to her crutch.
March 20, 2025 at 6:14 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Wow, what an evening! CB1 Poetry with the inspirational @carrieetter.bsky.social ❤️ Such a moving performance thanks Carrie! My first time reading at an Open Mic in my home town. Loved it.❤️
A photo of Carrie Etter and Anna Shelton smiling together.
March 3, 2025 at 6:34 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Really looking forward to hearing the wonderful @ruthpadel.bsky.social
read from her brilliant collection ‘Girl’ this evening. Us open miccers will be reading poems of girlhood too. #GoToThePoets ❤️
Book tickets here: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...
Go to the poets, they will speak to thee. Ruth Padel reads tonight at Wordsworth Grasmere on zoom. Book tickets here.
February 26, 2025 at 3:36 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
We laid him to rest next to Dad, in a grove of Birch trees. The drizzle stopped as the final poem was read and the sun came out. Yesterday I returned to larks singing a hymn above him. Goodbye Martin.❤️
The name Martin made out of spring flowers, laid on a grave, in sunshine.
February 23, 2025 at 6:12 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
One day at a time. 💔 #grief
February 13, 2025 at 2:16 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Proud to say my pamphlet has been longlisted for the Disabled Poets Prize 2025.
My pamphlet has been longlisted in the top 12 unpublished pamphlets for the Disabled Poets Prize 2025. Congratulations to the long and shortlisted writers for the 2025 Disabled Poets Prize.
January 28, 2025 at 10:05 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
What a wonderful Christmas gift to open this email today. 🎄❤️👏#GivePeatAChance Support the book of bogs here www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/give-peat-...
Thanks for supporting Give Peat A Chance: A Book of bogs. We’re delighted to tell you it was successful. Email from Crowdfunder.
December 25, 2024 at 12:18 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
‘Shame must change sides.’ Gisèle’s husband only got 20 yrs, for over a decade of the most horrific sexual abuse. Most of her attackers also got less than the prosecution requested. Is it any wonder most women don’t report? #shamemustchangesides Beautiful embroidery care of Victoria Villanova ❤️
A photo of Gisèle Pelicot embroidered in bright colours with yellow lines reaching out from around her face by Victoria Villanasa, with Gisèle’s words, ‘ shame must change sides’ embroidered above her head in pink and blue thread.
December 19, 2024 at 1:28 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Only 14 days to go! I’m so excited! Get your ticket here! #BlueSkyPoets www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/january-wr...
Meme of Mr Bean waiting for a bus. Text says ‘Me waiting for the January writing hours to start, realising it’s only December’
December 18, 2024 at 6:11 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Can’t wait to read at tonight’s Open Mic before Hannah Lowe’s reading - online for Wordsworth Grasmere. #BlueskyPoets #GoToThePoets
Tonight’s event features Hannah Lowe. The open mic theme is to bring a poem that experiments with form.
December 11, 2024 at 12:28 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Took my current #BrokenLegBookClub read into the garden ❄️ Beautiful book by @wendypratt.bsky.social 🙌 Wonderful to hear Wendy read some of her new poetry yesterday. #theghostlake
A copy of Wendy Pratt’s book The Ghost Lake held against some frosted Ivy
November 29, 2024 at 6:43 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Wonderful to hear the brilliant Grace Reid perform at the Winter Fire reading yesterday.👏❤️💋 Thanks to host @miriamo77.bsky.social #BrokenDuckPoets #BlueskyPoets
A photo of Grace Reid on screen at the Winter Fire poetry evening.
November 28, 2024 at 9:17 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Today’s Broken Leg Book club read: the stunning White Cloud Over Purple by @jpseabright.bsky.social I love how this poem Cold Dark Matter explodes sentences like splinters across the page. ❤️ #16daysofactivismagainstgenderbasedviolence
Gorgeous front cover of White Cloud Over Purple by JP Seabright, a colourful painted swirling picture on the front, complemented by Anna Shelton’s swirling pink and purple trousers with leg brace behind. Page of White Cloud over purple with the poem Cold Dark Matter. Returning again to Cornelia Parker's we've both changed over the years. I reflect on exploded shed, Fragments of splintered how little When I first saw A recognition, that the work, in 1997, wood hanging in I felt something suspended animation. shift thousands this is what it feels like. inside my body. of tiny shards, a sum of the whole, slowly twisting Trauma, frozen in time and space, in statis without but not touching, -something years later, resolution. I visit the moment And now, twenty- and feel the splinters still buried in my limbs. of explosion again Tiny thorns lodged in my side, twisting but not touching. after Cornelia Parker, Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, 1991 50
November 25, 2024 at 7:43 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
38 days until Poetry Heaven! 🙌 What are you waiting for? Get your ticket here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/january-wr... #JanuaryWritingHours
Meme of Mr Bean waiting for a bus. Text says ‘Me waiting for the January writing hours to start…realising it’s only November’
November 24, 2024 at 10:23 AM
annashelton.bsky.social
Today’s Broken Leg Book Club read: Susie Wilson’s brilliant pamphlet - well deserved winner of the Disabled Poets Prize. ❤️🙌 @concordmoose.bsky.social
#BlueSkyPoets
A photo of Susie Wilson’s new pamphlet, Nowhere Near As Safe As A Snake In Bed, held by Anna Shelton above a yellow blanket that is covering her broken leg. A pair of crutches is in the corner. The book cover colours match the blanket. Photo showing the poem Banana Circus from Susie Wilson’s pamphlet ‘Nowhere Near As Safe As A Snake In Bed’.
November 20, 2024 at 10:26 AM
annashelton.bsky.social
Mourning moon. Time to write of light in the darkness. 🌕 #moon
November 15, 2024 at 9:35 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
Today’s read. Poems of witness & heartbreak by @alisonphipps.bsky.social @sidhepress.bsky.social 💔🙌🍁 #Gaza
November 13, 2024 at 5:51 PM
annashelton.bsky.social
My attempts to edit a poem this week are like the Hokey Cokey. Put something in, take something out, in out in out shake it all about… 🤦‍♀️😂 #editing
Screenshot of the dictionary.com entry for the Hokey Cokey - a party dance and song
November 12, 2024 at 9:53 PM