2020

I have just finished the final draft (I hope) of the long slog that has become my new Forest book. I’m pleased with it. Watch this space!

And most of this year will be spent on two more books, with very few workshops and retreats, and I’m not taking on any new mentees.

Meantime we’ve recently begun the 2020 yearlong Tongues in Trees course – an exciting and rewarding project, and feeding in to the book, of course.

There will be, as usual, my Iona retreats in April and May (this year is their 20th year). Both are full but there is occasionally a cancellation. All three planned for 2021 are beginning to fill now.

In March and April I have a couple of engagements. The first is my poetry reading, with Jean Atkin, at Teignmouth Poetry Festival on Friday March 20th at 2.30pm.

On Saturday 25th April I’ve been asked to lead a two-hour writing workshop in Oban, Argyllshire. Please contact Leonie: leoniecharlton[at]talktalk[dot]net.

2019
Delighted to have the privilege of being the first featured poet for a new series on poetry & the sacred on the Abbey of the Arts website.

You know that thing about buses? – I’ve had poems in four anthologies, all within a few weeks of each other, this year: Scintilla 22 (an excellent journal that celebrates the natural world and a metaphysical perspective); Spring of the Muses (poetry and prose poems); The Valley Press Anthology of Prose Poetry; and also in For the Silent, an anthology to raise money for the League Against Cruel Sports.

I’ve resolved my uncertainty about the Forest book I’ve been writing: it’s actually two, or maybe even three books. Big rewrite happening. (AND a potential publisher has approached me.)

Speaking of forests: the first Tongues in Trees course, according to the group page and the people I’m working with 1-to-1, is a success. There’s some very beautiful work coming in, and a great buzz of new intimacy with trees from the participants. Bookings being taken now for the 1-to-1 options for 2020.

There are a number of new one-day workshops happening, mostly in Devon, mainly outdoors, this year. In October we’ll be writing outdoors in East Devon; and on Sunday 10th November I’m leading an ecopoetry workshop for Exeter Literary Festival – https://www.exelitfest.com/Eco-poetry.html

The ISLANDS OF THE HEART retreats on the beautiful Isle of Iona: the retreats for 2020 are full but sometimes people have to pull out, so there’s a waiting list. There are three weeks in 2021, booking  now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018
My latest book A Trick of the Light – poems from Iona collects together between two covers the many poems I’ve written in my 18 years of leading annual retreats on the sacred Isle of Iona, and one or two from visits prior to that.

I’m really excited about this collection, as Iona is very close to my heart. You can read reviews and order the book on the above link.

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More soon. Meantime, check out the Calendar and the Courses pages.