Ben Banyard

To celebrate #NationalPoetryDay here in the UK, here's one from my last collection, "Hi-Viz".
Copies of the book are available from my website for a bargain £7 (including P&P). benbanyard.wordpress.com/hi-viz/
@poetrydayuk.bsky.social @yaffles-nest.bsky.social #poetry

Can't eat - or even contemplate - an orange without thinking of this poem by Brian Patten. RIP. 🍊💔 🍊

Finding the “new normal” Firstly, let’s get one thing straight – it didn’t come as a shock to me at all to realise that it’s been over two years since I last posted on this blog. Although never as regular as I’d like, up u…

I expect you've been wondering why I haven't posted on my blog in two years? No. Oh. Well, this is awkward. benbanyard.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/f...

Hi-Viz My second full collection, published by Yaffle Press in November 2021.

I've reduced signed copies of my last #poetry collection, Hi-Viz, to just £5.00 (£7.00 including P&P) on my site!
Don't delay - there aren't many left!
For more info, sample poems and the lovely things that people have said about the book, head to my website.
benbanyard.wordpress.com/hi-viz/

Does it come with a chain of custardy?

Thrilled that "Day of the Dead" has been shortlisted for IS&T's Pick of the Month for August. Voting closes this Thursday!

Great to see my poem "Indoor Market" alongside some excellent work in the latest issue of @stepawaymag.bsky.social - always a brilliant read. stepawaymagazine.com

Season 2: Volume 2 / August 2025 Welcome to the latest issue of Mugwort Magazine. Summer is winding down, the harvest is well underway, and there’s a nip of autumn in the air even on the hotter days. In keeping with that Aug…

A lovely selection of late summer-themed writing in the latest issue of @mugwortmagazine.bsky.social including my poem about the charmingly old fashioned East Devon town of Sidmouth. #poetry mugwortmag.wordpress.com/2025/08/23/s...

Many thanks for giving it such a good home!

The site will take a break from the usual Monday and Thursday schedule while I take a much-needed holiday. Keep an eye out for the next poem on Monday 18th August!

Newcastle Falcons: Red Bull takeover expected to be finalised, club to be renamed Newcastle Red Bulls Red Bull's takeover of Newcastle Falcons is close to going through, with the club set to be renamed Newcastle Red Bulls.

This is fantastic news not only for Newcastle, but also the newly rebranded Prem as a whole in terms of having ten fully competitive teams in the league. #rugbyunion #premrugby www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-...

I'd sooner watch women's football any day over the men's Premier League. No theatrical dives, whinging, gamesmanship, overpaid show ponies. Sickening how much the men are paid when the women's game operates on a shoestring by comparison.

This cracker on Atrium today by @lauratheis.bsky.social reminds me of one of my favourite tunes! youtu.be/Ijlk0GTQbB4?...

Coincidentally I just searched here to see if anyone else has noticed that the smug purveyor of schmaltz-waltz is always on Sky Arts.

My poem "Hippy Market", about a visit to Es Cana in Ibiza, has found a lovely home in Mugwort Magazine today. Many thanks to @kategarrettwrites.bsky.social for choosing it.

#poets of the UK and Europe! @blacknorereview.bsky.social needs your #submission - send your work my way ASAP! The site can't operate without your excellent #writing

Superb!

Are you, like me, a relative newcomer to Bluesky whose fancy is tickled by #poetry? It can be daunting for those of us who have fled from X to rebuild contact lists pieced together over several years, but @hannahl1n.bsky.social has the answer!

YouTube video by GinBlossomsVEVO Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy (Official Music Video)

Say what you like about the Brewers Fayre restaurant chain, but my local branch is pretty much the only place since the mid 90s that I've heard tracks from Gin Blossoms' debut album on the playlist! Love it. youtu.be/ah5gAkna3jI?...

Thanks. I'm easing myself back into new work after a long period of not really feeling like it. Some poems should be seeing the light of day in journals quite soon - watch this space!

This poem on @atriumpoetry.bsky.social today is a quacker...sorry, I'll see myself out.

YouTube video by CBS Sunday Morning Extended interview: Anne Tyler

I've loved Anne Tyler's books for many years, but I think this is the first time I've seen her interviewed. A really interesting insight into her life and creative practice. #writinglife youtu.be/i8qr2xFu-Ok?...

Here's a poem taken from my last collection, "Hi-Viz" (Yaffle Press). Copies are available from my website at benbanyard.wordpress.com/hi-viz/ #poetry #grief

YouTube video by The Wonder Stuff - Topic Maybe

Feeling a bit Mondayish today, but a good dose of The Wonder Stuff on my drive to work has helped. Never fails! youtu.be/u3XRT97h5ec?...

Scotland’s most reliable sunshine! Teenage Fanclub’s greatest songs – ranked As their album Grand Prix turns 30, we rate the standout moments from a group Kurt Cobain called ‘the best in the world’

Teenage Fanclub are my favourite band by a country mile. I don't entirely agree with this ranking of their top tunes - "I Don't Want Control of You" is their best, obviously! www.theguardian.com/music/2025/m...

Realised I haven't deleted any emails from the Sent folder of my personal account since 2002, so I started reading them. It was like encountering a different person. How odd we are in our 20s/early 30s! And I'm only up to 2012, just before my kids were born...

YouTube video by BenHarperVEVO Ben Harper - Ground On Down

Yes, it does feel like 30 years since this banger came out, but it still sounds ace. youtu.be/8f-D7Xx89r4?...

It's that time again! If you have poetry or flash that you'd like to share with the world, send it my way for consideration. #poetry #poetrysubmissions

DIY – the punk ethic A few pointers for anyone considering setting up their own online literary journal.

I had a little back and forth recently with a fellow poet regarding setting up a poetry journal. I was reminded of a piece I wrote on my blog some years ago, just after Clear Poetry shut up shop, and thought it might be useful to anyone considering launching their own site.
#poetry #poetryjournals