Exciting news! My historical/fiction collection in progress Hart & Halfpenny will be published by the wonderful TwistiT Press (home of Twist in Time Magazine) in 2020/2021 - planned publication month/year will be confirmed soon.

These poems explore the life and beliefs of King James VI of Scotland & I of England, and the legacy he and his reign left the world (intentionally or not, and for good, bad, or otherwise). From his persecution of witches (which he later regretted) to the ordering of the King James bible to the United Kingdom itself; or his open bisexuality, his unwavering belief in the Divine Right of Kings, the tradition of Bonfire Night in the wake of the Gunpowder Plot, and his impact on Shakespeare's later plays (not least of all Macbeth) - and more besides - have all echoed down the centuries.

And yet in the popular imagination, he is comparatively overlooked for someone who made such an impact. My aim with these poems - as someone who started researching him with a strong dislike for the man, but now I am not without sympathy for him - is to bring James and his legacy to life in my own small way.

Fictional poems tell a contemporary tale of the friendship between a hedgewitch and a musician in 21st century England - entwined with the historical, they call back and reflect themes such as magic, religion, fear, superstition, ambition, love, and queer identity as they relate to our own time.
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Sample poems

'The last gift of Lennox' (The Wellington Street Review, Issue Three)

'Mary at the murder of Rizzio' (Mookychick, October 2019)

'Rumours and oracles' (Nightingale & Sparrow, Issue IV 'nevermore')
I will be taking a short trip to Edinburgh to work on Hart & Halfpenny in January 2020, and some kind souls have suggested I accept donations towards my train fare (being a working class poet and mother of five). For a minimum donation of £1, their names will appear here and in the back of the finished, published book with personal thanks. Should anyone wish to donate, my paypal link is http://PayPal.me/KateGarrettNield