January is the hottest month

What an amazing series of readings we have had this month. It is a pleasure to engage with the poetry of some of the legends, contemporary greats and upcoming champions of poetry; not to mention #poetrytwitter , a great #poetrycommunity that not only fosters new talent and supports established poets by retweeting and purchasing books, but also engages with the themes and words and the political messages embodied in thousands of poems.

I thank the poets for the opportunity to read their work. Know that, I treat your work with the utmost respect. As I prepare to recite your work into a microphone, by reading and re-reading your work, I see you toiling away in the middle of the night on multiple drafts, pouring your heart and soul into verses that move hearts and change minds. It is a true blessing and an emotional experience for me.

English is my second language, so I prepare extensively to ensure that I make very few errors in my pronunciation of the words. But ultimately, errors do creep in, especially when you are so caught up in the emotional world of a poem during a performance. I apologise for this.

I have trained extensively in voice recording techniques, so know that every time I switch on that mic, I am drawing on some lessons from great teachers, to voice your amazing poems. The errors and faults are of course, all mine. My teachers have always been fantastic.

Thank you poets for your kind words and for your support. Knowing that my reading of your work has provided lots of joy and inspiration, truly makes this endeavour rewarding.

Thank you poetry lovers for liking and sharing and retweeting my work. These poems forged in the minds of thousands of creative souls are for you. It’s a joy to bring these gems to you through yet another medium. I hope listening to these words will inspire you to financially support poets by purchasing books, magazines, chapbooks and by turning up to readings.

Poetry is ascending the pyramid of popular culture. If listening to the poems below doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what else will.

February is going to be awesome! Through your likes and retweets and mentions I have managed to come across so many new poets who produce some incredible work that the world needs to hear. As always I will endeavour to ensure that my recordings reflect the diversity of the #poetryworld — this is a promise!

The first week of February is a true, poetry lovers’ delight. So I hope you will tune in and share and comment on the recordings.

I particularly look forward to my #valentinesweek readings in February. I was overwhelmed with joy when I finalised my picks today.

I believe the creation and consumption of great art and literature can positively change the world. I intend to do my bit to support this cause by voicing beautiful poems, bringing great poetry to more listeners and supporting poets and the magazines and publishing houses that give their words a home.

Follow me on this journey. I am on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Now, please enjoy a selection of some of the awesome readings from January 2018.