Poetry
STAR POems: All of Me
By Helen Larham I have always loved him despite his neglect so when I stepped out onto the sea he bore my full weight, everything: All those times I had ventured in and they [… read more ]
writing
Poetry
STAR POems: The Hammock
By John Pearson I am the man-length canvas pulled out of store, strung between grey bulkheads ready to still the pitch and roll of any ship. I am a solitary place a cocoon to relieve [… read more ]
Culture
Self Publishing: Behind the Scenes with Authors Reach
Richard Hardie is one of the founder members of Authors Reach, a co-operative of local authors turned self-publishers. Here’s how it works. The job of being an author doesn’t stop with the words “The End”. In many ways that’s just [… read more ]
Fiction
Post Mortem
By Jon Crout. Vaughn stared down Kennedy from the other end of the deserted, dust blown street. “Your portrayal of Chris Adams was too far removed from the original to be credibly considered the same [… read more ]
Fiction
Portsmouth Writers’ Season: Tom Harris
We present an excerpt from chapter one of Tom Harris’ new novel, The Sweep, a fantasy adventure set in an alternative, steampunk-inspired London. This is a capital divided by wealth and corruption, run by a [… read more ]
Memoir
Embrace Your Jealousy
Local author and organiser of Portsmouth Plugged In, Charlotte Comley, gives helpful advice to writers and creatives alike as she tackles the difficult subject of finding yourself feeling jealous about the success of others. So, [… read more ]
Culture
Pens, Project Management and Portsmouth Plugged In
Charlotte Comley reports on her recent experiences as the Project Manager for Portsmouth Plugged In, a collaboration between writers and filmmakers. The theme of this year’s Portsmouth Festivities was Electricity, and for ten days the [… read more ]
Culture
From Student Blog to Graphic Adventure
Nica Tomasiello discusses her exciting new project to turn her blog about life as a University of Portsmouth student into an innovative graphic novel. Some of you have already heard of J.A.S.I.P. at least a couple of [… read more ]
Culture
Throwing Water at the Ocean
Journalist and editor Sam Ward ponders the meaning and purpose of writing in the internet age. Like a deep winter, which started with a light icing sugar frost on the leaves before becoming a blanket [… read more ]