Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Black Spring Press, Burbage House, 83-85 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3BS          298 pages £9.95

Velocity is an anthology of previously unpublished work by about 100 writers, many of them leading names on the contemporary scene, who have performed for spoken word promoters, Apples & Snakes. Published to coincide with the organisation’s 21st anniversary, it includes poetry, short stories, non-fi ction, artwork and anecdotes. A lucky dip of the names pulls out Adrian Mitchell, Dannie Abse, Patience Agbabi, Michèle Roberts, Joolz Denby, Mimi Khalvati, John Hegley, Michael Donaghy and Michael Rosen (not too keen on his cat-vomit poem, incidentally). Some are good, some not so good but with so many to choose from any reader should fi nd plenty that appeals. Roger McGough’s wry The Last
Strike is fun. Undertakers are about to go on strike with crematorium workers and grave diggers coming out in deepest sympathy. The poem ends: Throughout the country/ There have been reports of widespread/ Panic-dying. It is easy to see how many of the poems would go down well when performed. Take Shanta Acharya’s Dear Customer, which starts: Be realistic and not too critical, bear in mind/ that Boyfriend 5.0 was an entertainment package/ but Husband 1.0 is an operating system. This is followed by humorously delivered advice in the same vein that should be handed to anyone about to enter matrimony. I haven’t been to an Apples & Snakes event - reading this book leaves me wanting to go to one.