Thank you, Alison! ❤️

@timrelf.bsky.social @waterstones.bsky.social

@marymulholland.bsky.social

Today's recommendation comes from @dislaney.bsky.social, the representative of the North Nottinghamshire Stanza. To find out more about our Stanza groups, visit the link in our bio.

Di's pick is Mary Mulholland's 'the elimination game' (Broken Sleep Books). Thank you, Di!

Thank you so much, dear Elly! 😘

Edited by Paul with translations by Siena Crossley, The Power of Place: Poetry of the Côte d’Azur can be bought on Amazon or from Paul directly: strategol@orange.fr

The inspiration for my own poem came from an altogether different place, although Paul was kind enough to keep it in the anthology, perhaps as a point of contrast. In warm, bright and opulent places there are often small, scared patches of darkness that should be brought to the light.

Inspired by making his home in Cannes and “walking in the sandy footsteps of many great writers who found inspiration in the topography, climate and culture of this marvellous land”, Paul has assembled a small collection of beautiful poems which perfectly demonstrate the inspiration of place.

There are many tales to be told from that short, intense time living at sea with complete strangers, but I’d never considered it material for poetry until lovely Paul Christopher Walton asked if I had anything to contribute to his forthcoming anthology Côte d’Azur.

Living on the boat in dry dock while we made it seaworthy meant walking 500m to find toilets and showers in the marina. No running water. No home comforts. No comfort at all, in fact.

Recruited for my language skills and not my ability to cook, clean, do laundry and anti-foul the underneath of a boat in dry dock, these were all things I had to learn very quickly to do. Character-building, I think it’s called! It was hotter than I’d ever known.

The conversations with dogs is the sequel 😉🐾

Thanks so much 😘

Thank you so much, dear Elly 😘

Thank you so much! Looking forward to reading your poem 😊