HOW LONG IS A PIECE - OF POETRY?

PREFACE The author, though British, was born in Austria and lived in Sudan and Canada before settling in the north of England at the age of eight. He studied English and Politics at Sheffield University before spending most of the next two years working and travelling in Europe and Africa all of which has been documented in the autobiographical ‘Transit Europe, Transit Life’ and ‘A Winter in Africa.’ After working for 25 years as a social worker he undertook further training in environmental management, teaching and finally careers information, advice and guidance which became his final career. Though retired from paid work he still offers free careers advice sessions at several centres in Leicestershire close to where he lives. He also co-ordinates local wildlife and butterfly surveys working with local groups to provide data on the numerical health or otherwise of regional species and supports positive moves to protect our threatened wildlife. He has been writing poetry and short stories since he was 16 and has won several awards in poetry competitions for his work. His first book of poetry, ‘Out of the Wild’ was published in 2010. In February 2020 he felt prompted to write a collection of 60 poems about the impacts of Covid and this book, published at the end of 2020, has so far marked the start of a sequence of 23 books of poetry, short novels and autobiographical accounts which include coverage of his experiences in Europe, Africa, South America and the Middle East. This current selection of poems continues to reflect his thoughts and experiences as well as offering narratives in verse form.