This race of meltwater,
sweet talker, springs growth
from the winter
bed of the wood

‘Atkin is one of the most original and rewarding poets that we have in the literary landscape at the moment’
R V Bailey, reviewing in ‘Envoi’

I’m a Cumbrian/Scottish poet, writer and experienced educator, based in Shropshire. Since 2011 I’ve worked on a variety of residencies in both England and Scotland and provide workshops and readings to schools, festivals and community and national organisations. I often work in collaboration with arts and community projects – from January to November 2025 I’m working on an unusual project called Hey! Earthlings! (Because in these fraught times we must remember we are all Earthlings). More here.

In 2024 I collaborated on a poetry pamphlet with Richard Skinner which we’ve called ‘Crossing Paths’, which will be published by Black Cat Press in 2026. And I was lucky enough to spend all of October 2024 staying in the International Writers’ and Translators’ House in Ventspils, Latvia, on a writing residency. This has allowed me to write the first draft of another book, this time focused on three remarkable women travellers and writers.

 In December 2024, I won the Coast to Coast to Coast Individual Poet Journal Prize, alongside wonderful poets Sarah Westcott and Will Kemp. My handstitched artist’s book, created by Maria Isakova Bennett, was launched in July 2025. It’s called ‘Not Far From Ragged Kingdom’.

My third full collection High Nowhere was published by IDP in late 2023, and nominated for 2024’s Laurel Prize for environmental and nature writing. Poems included in it were published in One Hand Clapping, Interpreter’s House, Poetry Scotland, Finished Creatures, Raceme, Anthropocene, Pennine Platform, The Lake, Atrium, ARTEMISpoetry, London Grip and Poetry Wales. More about ‘High Nowhere’ here.

In 2023 I was selected for ART-efact, an Arts Council funded 3 month residency in Oswestry. This was a hugely rewarding experience – more here. I’ve also worked for several months with Roots in Time, a fascinating art-and-archaeology project in Evesham. Between-whiles I’ve led a poetry walk and workshop for Frodsham lit fest Weaver Words, delivered various schools workshops, two online Poetry Wire courses, taken The Spellwright out to Shrewsbury’s award-winning heritage site at Flaxmill Maltings, and led workshops for Poetry on Loan, Arvon at The Hurst, and Second Light Network.

In 2022 I completed a project with the national charity Paintings In Hospitals, worked on projects for Meadow Arts and The Hive in Shrewsbury, worked in schools for the Poetry Society, ran workshops for Poetry On Loan and tutored for Arvon.  I’m still working on a wonderful project with MediaActive which is employing a dancer, a musician, and a poet (me) to create new work inspired by archive film. My poetry-theatre invention The Spellwright had some outings too, including at Ledbury Poetry Festival.

In 2020, because of the pandemic, I created The Poetry Wire, a website for sharing work within a small closed group for whom I write regular prompts, and provide detailed feedback.  Once a week we meet for a social readaround on Zoom.  The Poetry Wire has now run thirteen sold-out courses, with a new one planned for  February/March 2025.  I really enjoy this way of working, and meet such friendly and talented poets.

In 2021 I published two new books – Fan-peckled (Fair Acre Press) about the lost words of Shropshire; and The Bicycles of Ice and Salt (IDP) about two long and long-ago journeys I made by bicycle.  My thanks to IDP who kindly nominated poems from ‘How Time is in Fields’ and ‘The Bicycles of Ice and Salt’ for the Pushcart Prize this year.

In 2019 I was Troubadour of the Hills for Ledbury Poetry Festival, and National Poetry Day’s BBC Poet for Shropshire – for which I wrote a commissioned poem for the county.  It turned out that Shropshire has harboured many unexpected elephants.  You can read the poem, watch it and hear it here.   I also make poetry in health and wellbeing contexts, including Social Prescription, and am experienced in working with the very elderly, and people living with dementia.  I like to work in collaboration with other artists and organisations when the opportunity arises.

For seven years I organised The Poetry Lounge, Ludlow’s spoken word night, but since moving up the road to Shrewsbury, I’m now working with my friend the poet Liz Lefroy to organise Shrewsbury Poetry.  Shrewsbury Poetry takes place at The Hive on Belmont, Shrewsbury, SY1 1TE, on the second Tuesday of the month. We usually have a guest poet, and open mic slots.

I provide ‘poetry-theatre’ as The Spellwright for festivals and events: Spells Written To Your Requirements Without Delay.  I’ve written spells for growing wings, for opening locked doors, for persuading an owl to speak, for invisibility – and many more.  There is a candle. And red sealing wax, and a brass seal.

I mentor emerging poets, lead online poetry courses on The Poetry Wire and face to face workshops in a variety of settings. I’m a professional member of NAWE and have an enhanced DBS certificate.

Some previous publications are my second collection, How Time is in Fields which was published in spring 2019 by Indigo Dreams Publishing, and launched at Cheltenham Poetry Festival.  I’ve previously published Not Lost Since Last Time with Oversteps Books (2013), pamphlets with Roncadora Press, Ravenglass Press and Biscuit Tin Press, and a children’s novel, The Crow House.  And I did used to have a taxidermied Crow, who came to workshops with me, but the moths got him.