Clear Poetry Anthology 2017

So that’s it! Clear Poetry has published its very last set of poems.

As a parting gift, I’ve put together a third and final anthology, which is free to download as a pdf. I’ve selected a poem by each of the fabulous writers that I’ve featured on the site over the past year.

**You can download it here**

Or you can read it via the embedded issuu.com player at the bottom of this post.

**Although it is available free of charge, please consider donating whatever you can afford to a charity of your choice.**

I plan to keep the Facebook page active, which I’ll use to share links to publications by CP’s many contributors, as well as work I come across which I think the site’s loyal readers might enjoy.

You can also follow me on my personal blog, Facebook page and Twitter account.

Many thanks to everyone who has supported the site, and I wish you all the very best for 2018 and beyond.

Ben Banyard
Editor, Clear Poetry

P.S. If you’ve enjoyed reading Clear Poetry there’s a tips jar Paypal button to the right hand side of the page, or below, depending on the device you’re using to view this site. All tips accepted most gratefully by the editor!

(Almost) The End

Dear friends,

Earlier this year, after a great deal of thought, I decided that Clear Poetry will cease publication at the end of December 2017.

As the sole editor, I’ve spent many hours over the past three years reading and responding to submissions, as well as running the site itself using a mix of WordPress, Facebook and Twitter. I’m not complaining – after all, I took it upon myself to launch Clear Poetry at the end of 2014. But to put it simply, I need to devote more time to my own writing.

Having made my decision, I waited until all available slots for the rest of the year were scheduled before hammering a piece of 4 x 2 firmly over the submissions inbox.

But don’t despair, there are still several weeks’ worth of brilliant poems to be published before Clear Poetry goes into deep hibernation. I’m also putting the finishing touches to this year’s free e-anthology, which will feature one poem from each of the poets who appeared on the site this year.

I’ve loved editing the site and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it. Clear Poetry will remain online in suspended animation for the foreseeable future (as well as on the British Library’s archives), so please feel free to peruse the marvellous roll-call of poets who have helped me to make it the success it is today.

Cheerio for now,

Ben x

Annual summer break

Dear Clear Poetry Readers,

A quick note to let you know that Clear Poetry is taking a well earned rest for the next couple of weeks, and will return with new poems on Monday 14th August.

Feel free to continue to submit your work during that period, but just be aware that you’re unlikely to receive a response from me until week commencing 21st August.

Thanks, as ever, for your wonderful support.

Cheerio!

Ben x

Anthology 2016

2016 was a great year for Clear Poetry, and once again I’ve decided to mark another successful twelve months by putting together a free e-anthology. It features one poem from each contributor.

It’s free to download but I would ask that you consider donating whatever you can afford to a charity of your choice. Failing that a simple act of kindness will suffice.

To access the anthology, you can click on the cover image above, or navigate to its page on the site here.

Summer hols

Dear readers,

After tomorrow morning’s post, the site will be taking its annual break, returning with more new poems on Monday 4th July.

In the mean time, please browse the archives – perhaps you’ll unearth a gem you missed the first time around, or revisit an old favourite.

Thanks, as ever, for your ongoing support,

Toodle-pip,

Ben x

P.S. Submissions will remain open during the break – I will look to respond with an aye or nay by the end of week commencing 11/7. If you’ve already submitted, and haven’t yet had a reply from me, I am hoping to come back to you by 17/6.

Announcing the Clear Poetry Anthology 2015 – free!

It’s been an incredible year on Clear Poetry, and a few weeks ago I decided to mark the end of the blog’s first twelve months with something special. Call it an early Christmas present.

I’ve created an e-anthology – and it’s FREE! *

The book includes at least one poem by each contributor but it’s sequenced more like a mixtape, rather than in the order in which the work was originally published. Hopefully this will mean that everyone will find something new which they might have missed the first time around.

* Now, before you get too excited, although there is nothing to stop you merrily grabbing these files without paying a penny, I thought it would be nice to invite every reader, and indeed anyone who’s enjoyed the blog over the course of 2015, to donate a sum of their choosing to their favourite charity. Failing that, and especially if times are hard, a random act of kindness will suffice. Either way, give. Please.*

OK, so the files:

Firstly, here’s a version on issuu.com, which you can read on screen.

 

PDF version – downloadable from WordPress here

MOBI version (for Kindle) – downloadable here

AZW3 version (for Kindle DX, Fire etc) – downloadable here

EPUB version (for Kobo, Nook etc) – downloadable here

Or if you like, download a zip folder containing all formats from here

For each of the ebook formats (MOBI, AZW3 and EPUB) you should just be able to download the file to your PC or laptop and then transfer it to your Kindle, Fire, Nook, Kobo etc once the device is connected via USB. Generally you can simply drag the file from your ‘Downloads’ folder straight into the device (often the ‘Documents’ folder), although check online support documentation if you’re unsure.

I hope you enjoy reading it, and do please let me know what you think!

I’d like to thank all of the contributors for allowing me to include their work, and of course for helping to keep this project secret! Thanks also to the New York City Municipal Archives, who kindly agreed to my non-commercial use of the lovely cover image free of charge.

Thanks again to all of our readers for supporting Clear Poetry this year – and here’s to a happy and peaceful 2016.

Summer hols and gratitude

Hi folks,

Firstly, many thanks for all of your support since Clear Poetry was launched in January. I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams that so many of you would be so keen and kind, nor that so many excellent writers would gladly furnish me with their brightest and best unpublished work.

Secondly, after tomorrow’s post (three more poems by the marvellous Richie McCaffery) this site will take a well-earned break, returning on Monday 6th July with yet more accessible, approachable and (I daresay) downright astonishing contemporary poetry.

In the mean time, please browse the archives and feel free to get in touch if you’d like to see more by a previously featured poet (or propose someone else whose work might sit well here).

While I’m away, submissions will remain open so please continue to send your work for consideration and I’ll look to respond to everyone by the end of week commencing 6th July.

Toodle-pip,

Ben x

Updated submission guidelines

Please note that I’ve made a slight change to my submission guidelines, increasing the number of poems I’d like you to send from 3-4 to 4-6 – this is to give me greater choice, and also to ensure I’ll always be able to publish a minimum of two poems for each featured poet.

Since I’m happy for you to submit simultaneously elsewhere, I’m hoping that having a few more poems under consideration won’t cause any problems. If anything, it should make Clear Poetry a better read.

If you’ve already submitted 3-4 poems, don’t worry – you’re still aiming at the goal posts before I moved them! 🙂

The updated guidelines can be found here.

Going live!

Happy New Year!

Just a quick note to let you know that Clear Poetry will be going live on Monday 5th January at 5.45am with two excellent poems by Robert Nisbet! I can’t wait for you to read them.

Welcome!

Welcome to Clear Poetry. You can expect to see some marvellous poetry here when the blog officially launches early in 2015, but in the mean time, here’s some info about me and my master plan! My name’s Ben Banyard and I live in Portishead, UK. Like many people I enjoyed studying poetry at school and then university, but for one reason and another I stopped reading, and writing it, soon after I entered the big, bad adult world. At the beginning of 2014 I spotted a tweet by poet Jo Bell. She was setting up a project called 52, which launched on New Year’s Day and aimed to get participants to write at least one poem a week throughout the year, inspired by her wonderful prompts. To my amazement I managed to write and post (via the group’s Facebook page) over 180 poems. What’s more, the helpful comments posted by Jo and the other “52ers” emboldened me to submit what I considered my best work to various print and online journals. By the end of the year, I’d had (to be fair) a large number of rejections, but on the up side around fifteen of my poems had been accepted. Blimey – I’m a poet! But then having read so many posts by 52’s other members I discovered my own tastes in contemporary poetry. However, when I set out to find an online blog which reflected that taste, I struggled. While there are some notable exceptions, I found a lot of writing was far too cryptic, or (dare I say) downright pretentious. Which is when I hit upon the idea for Clear Poetry. This blog is aimed at encouraging an appreciation of, and an engagement with, contemporary poetry. The poems you’ll find here are my personal choice and I feel that they are approachable, accessible and downright astonishing! If you enjoy them, why not comment, or even submit some of your own?