Review: Stickleback, Ode to a Hedgehog (magazine)

Publisher: The Hedgehog Poetry Press

Author: Various

Price: FREE, but a donation to Prickles Hedgehog Rescue would be nice!

Mark Davidson, the editor of HPP has created a poetry press that has distinguishable presence and voice. Stickleback magazine epitomises this. Cover design features a Stickleback fish and a Hedgehog. Glorious.

Mateo has a poem in issue four of Eye Flash, and since discovering his poetry were a bit obsessed, so of course, we delved into his work to find two praised collections of poetry, ‘X Marks the Spot’ and ‘Bones: a series of poems’  that delve into Mateo’s macabre and magical poetry that grows from roots of heritage and identity. We interviewed Mateo to find out more behind the talent.

We are lucky enough to have Anna Saunders guest edit our issue two, due out next Spring. Anna is the CEO and founder of Cheltenham Poetry Fetival.  She has been described as ‘a poet who surely can do anything’ by The North  and ‘a poet of quite remarkable gifts’ by Bernard O’Donoghue. 

Review: £5 for this love

Publisher: Paper Swan Press

Author: Stephen Daniels

Price: £5.00

Cecile Bol’s heart wrenching yet playful poem reminds us all of the fragility of motherhood. The bittersweet undertone that is carried through to the perfect ending leaves the reader with a curiosity that can only be quenched by reading the poem again, and again. Available in issue five of Eye Flash Poetry Journal

Review: Ghosting for beginners

Publisher: Indigo Dreams Publishing

Author: Anna Saunders

Price: £8.99

Anna’s fifth collection of poetry- she knows what she’s doing. The cover has contrasting primary colours and pathways heading towards, or away from, something unknown and particularly ghostly. Great set up for the subject and tone of the collection.

Review: Papaya Fantasia

Reviewer: Matthew Duggan

Publisher: Hedgehog Poetry

Author: David Mark Williams

Price: £9.99

Review: Lantern

Reviewer: Anna Britton

Publisher: Offord Road Books

Author: Sean Hewitt

Price: £6.00

This beautiful poem by Emily Nicol is available in our Pills pamphlet

Joan’s poem needs to be shared. It light-touch language and imagery make use of the concrete form to produce a wonderful poem worthy of reading time and again. You can read Joan’s poem in issue four of Eye Flash Poetry due out April 2019, order your copy here.

Photo by Ankush Minda on Unsplash

Our poem of the week is Jane Burn’s haunting and ethereal poem, The House of Blossomed Bones, available in issue three of Eye Flash Poetry.

Claire Westwood is the talented artist and illustrator gracing the front cover of issue three of Eye Flash, and we can’t wait to share her colourful and ethereal designs with you. Listing Viginia Woolf and Christmas alongside other influences, Claire’s quirky artwork fits right in with our Eye Flash family of talented poets and artists.

Daniel’s poem from issue two of Eye Flash is brimming with imagery and rhyme that combines magically to create a scene full of pastoral and romantic melancholy.

Sneha has impressed us no end at Eye Flash. After accepting her poetry for issue three we are spellbound, her poetry complex and accessible, pulling the reader into the world she has intricately created. Sneha is one to watch for the future, creating one of the most respectable poetry journals around , ‘Parentheses’,

Once again here at Eye Flash, we have found an amazing artist to grace our front cover. Monika Kozac’s is an artist and illustrator from Poland who has seen her work appear in KALTBULT magazine, exhibited in Poland, and has a fierce following on social media. It’s not difficult to see why- her mix of vibrant colour and line work draws your attention and intrigue, and leaves you wanting to know more about the energy behind the image.  Read below to find out more about Monika.

This weeks poem is courtesy of Anna Saunders and featured in issue one of Eye Flash. Anna is one of our favourite contemporary poets here at Eye Flash, and The Angel of Revelation visits the New Age Centre is a great example of Anna’s work that combines comedy, melancholy and the spiritual to create a unique voice that is easy to connect with.

Kitty Cooper’s painting ‘Girl in the water’ is gracing the cover of our first journal. Her bold surrealist style draws you into a world you wish to be a part of, and we couldn’t be happier to have her on board with us at Eye Flash.

When Laura said she would be happy to do an interview with Eye Flash, we did a little dance around the kettle for joy. And ate a few extra jammy dodgers with our cuppa. It’s not hard to see why- Laura is a remarkable young poet with a distinctive voice, burning a trail with her words and success.

Helena has a rare talent to convey microcosms that engulf the reader through a brief moment of poetry. Her poem ‘Begin’ is a fine example of this, and you can find it in our upcoming DUST pocket poetry pamphlet.