Poem of the week: To a Sparrow by Francis Ledwidge
This brightly observed study of a ‘sweetly impudent’ bird carries with it a distinct political edge
July 2022
Carol Rumens's poem of the week
Poem of the week: Clock a Clay by John Clare
Clare struggled in the Romantic age, but this attentive study to a small creature leaves one dreaming of the hero he might have been in our era
November 2021
Brief letters
The addictive world of competitive chess
Brief letters: Chess | Swifts | Flowering lemon trees | John Clare | LV=
March 2020
Country diary
Country diary: catch these twinkling stars before their lights go out
Lower Benefield, Northamptonshire: Glow-worms must now go on to the ‘last chance to see’ list
December 2018
Brief letters
Talk to your child, not your mobile
Brief letters: Advice for modern parents | Dotterels | Christmas recipes | Austerity | Crescendos
January 2018
John Clare archive under threat from library cuts
Hilary Mantel and Alan Moore voice 'grave concerns' for John Clare archive
April 2017
Top 10s
Top 10 books about trees
Country diary
Like love, violets gladden the heart
February 2017
The week in radio: The Rise of the Robots; I, Robot; In Our Time: John Clare
Isaac Asimov’s prophetic play and Adam Rutherford’s The Rise of the Robots revealed that our fear of machines is nothing new
August 2016
Books blog
Drawn to the abyss: literature's fascination with homelessness
From Jack London to George Orwell and Iain Sinclair, there is a long tradition of writers who fuel their portrayals of destitution with first hand experience
July 2016
Rural life and scenery inspired by John Clare
Country diary
Thorn tree tangle of pagans and poets
May 2016
Poster poems
Poster poems: politics
As bruising electoral battles rage on around us, it’s a good time to remember that poets can raise their voices for public causes, too. Please add your voice below
October 2015
By Our Selves review – Toby Jones retreads the journey of poet John Clare
The actor takes a role also played by his father, Freddie, for an occasionally exasperating drama-documentary
May 2015
How well do you know the Romantic poets? - quiz
We're two centuries on from the high watermark of a heroic age for writers. From deathless couplets to dieting tips, test your knowledge of the lives and works of Byron and co
April 2015
Poster poems
Poster poems: Pathways
As the spring begins to beckon us outside, this month we’re on the trail of your metrical feet
March 2014
The 10 best ...
The 10 best poems about spring
From Shakespeare to Larkin, Kate Kellaway chooses her favourite celebrations of spring
February 2014
Top 10s
The best fiction featuring real writers
From Colm Tóibín to Italo Calvino, novelist Rachel Cantor describes her favourite encounters with authors who appear in other people's books
January 2014
Books blog
2014 in books: an alternative calendar
John Dugdale: Scuffles over Marlowe, orgy at the Folio prize and Alasdair Gray skydiving – a look at the coming year in a parallel literary universe
