Gill Barr

November butterfly…

"a saint's eye unbuttons, / spilling bees" 👏🏼

The image is the cover of The New Yorker magazine from October 27, 1945, illustrated by Edna Eicke. The cover art depicts a Halloween scene where three children, dressed in white ghost costumes, are opening a decorative wrought-iron gate. They appear to be trick-or-treating, with bags in hand, and are about to walk down a path toward a large, spooky-looking house visible in the background. The house is surrounded by a dense, dark forest of tall, bare trees, and a light shines from its windows.

Goodnight.
🖼️ Edna Eicke, New Yorker October 27, 1945.

Congrats, Merril! What a terrific accolade!

I'm so thrilled to be nominated by The Chaos Section Poetry Project for my poem, "Emerging from the Penumbra." Thank you!

Holly with… apple

⚡️🥳⚡️🥳⚡️🥳⚡️
Overjoyed to see our beautiful Storms Issue V bursting into the world! It’s a real stunner and I’m so proud and grateful to have been a part of this wonderful adventure. Celebrations galore now! Thank you Damien, and all you super Stormers you are amazing! 🥳⚡️🤩 👏💖⚡️

The 5th Storm has landed, the printed journal of poetry, prose & visual art featuring 89 star Stormers & cover art by Brian Malachy Quinn is supported by @dublincityoflit.bsky.social @fingal.ie

Now available to buy at our online shop eatthestorms.com/the-storm-sh...

In darkness there is us as I close my eyes to see a future that might have been a house on the shore waves lapping against soft sand warm ocean breath there is life love, laughter children playing around us when my eyes open sand has become walls the horizon a small window in a city I can’t escape where are you now what might have been

Getting my head back into writing after the school holidays, so a quick first draft of a poem for this week's #PromptCombo #DreamLogic. Thanks @victoriaspires.bsky.social for hosting! #poem #poetry

I'm pleased that two of my poems will appear in North Coast Voices 2025: Poems of the Great Lakes, edited by Chuck Joy and M Scott Douglass for Main Street Rag Publishing. So many good poets between these covers. Advance sale discount price is only $10 at mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/nort...

Hi @victoriaspires.bsky.social and the #promptcombo team. Thank you for the prompt #DreamLogic. Here is my recollection of the febrile hours/days of malaria when I was 19. I was nursed back to health by the inimitable Sister Pat, a septuagenarian nun - and very dear friend. #poetry

On the joys of publication, the demise of poetry presses and a small confession. Last week I had the joy of being published in an e-journal that I really like.

open.substack.com/pub/bethbroo...

Ginko to go…

Delighted to be reading at East Coker Poets this evening at 7.30 pm in the brilliant Village Café. Reading from A Wide River Divides Us #CinnamonPress @ArtsCouncilNI @PaulWritesPoems @blackbough #southwest #poetry @LitWorks

The @bridportprize.bsky.social
2025 results are officially out. Congrats to the winners & highly commended.

Honoured to be shortlisted (top 3% of entrants from around the globe), & in great company too.

My first time entering, so am very grateful 🙏 Full results:
bridportprize.org.uk/results/2025

Many thanks, Catherine. Thrilled by your response to my poems and by @paulwritespoems.bsky.social ‘s feature in The Book Bag today. Maybe see you at next Open Mic?

This is a lovely article, Gill. My heart broke at Palmer’s moon - lyrical and poignant.

One of the top ten books I’ve read this year’ says @paulwritespoems.bsky.social writing in The Book Bag. So thrilled and so grateful for Paul’s generous and sensitive reading of A Wide River Divides Us available from cinnamonpress.com and Waterstones.com . So many thanks. Loving the playlist 🙏🏻

It’s here. The Book Bag with @gillbarr.bsky.social collection A Wide River Divides Us published by Cinnamon Press

Plus news & opps including;

@blackboughpoetry.bsky.social
@frazzledlit.bsky.social
@eatthestorms.com

‘One of the top ten books I’ve read this year’ says @paulwritespoems.bsky.social writing in The Book Bag. So thrilled and so grateful for Paul’s generous and sensitive reading of A Wide River Divides Us available from cinnamonpress.com and Waterstones.com . So many thanks 🙏🏻

The Book Bag: A Wide River Divides Us By Gill Barr Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week. It’s been a productive week in the allotment with strawberry runners being planted, the fruit cage being finalised and the cold frame started. Things are taking shape. Last Sunday we went to Wallington, a National Trust property not far from Morpeth. It was a perfect day for a long autumn walk. We also got to take in the photography exhibition dotted throughout the East Wood. I may write an ekphrastic piece about one of the images. The below, I took on my phone.

The Book Bag is here. This week we cross A Wide River Divides by Gill Barr, published by Cinnamon Press.

One of the top ten books I've read this year.

Read my thoughts here.

Also news, opps and the regular playlist.

Thank you! A huge and delicious surprise!

So delighted that A Wide River Divides Us will be featured on The Book Bag Sunday Oct 19th 8 a.m. Many thanks to @PaulWritesPoems.bsky.social
@blackboughpoetry.bsky.social @rosiejackson.bsky.social @kimsquirrell.bsky.social @bethbpoet.bsky.social
@matthewmcsmith.bsky.social

Today’s the day. Launching my debut poetry collection @sladersyard.bsky.social in West Bay Dorset. Couldn’t be more excited!

Archway Books setting up at Shute Lit Festival in Lyme Regis. The sun is out…

Donate to Running Cologne Marathon for Medical Aid for Palestinians, organized by Jesse Adlam I will be running Cologne Marathon and raising money for the cha… Jesse Adlam needs your support for Running Cologne Marathon for Medical Aid for Palestinians

gofund.me/142290d89

Look what landed here this morning, because, you know, I am always well ahead of the curve in my reading matter...🥰

Autumn pavement at Pall Mall Galleries

White sails and chalk cliffs

Wonderful
Cinnamon Press!