Explaining the Circumstances

Christopher North facilitates poetry writing retreats in his art centre, Almassera Vella, in Relleu Alicante (www.oldolivepress.com). He has chaired readings by visiting poets from the USA and UK on behalf of Stanza Alacant and La Seu Benissa for the last two years - thus introducing exciting contemporary voices to local audiences. A prize-winning poet himself, his first collection 'A Mesh of Wires' was short-listed for the Forward Prize in 1999. He won the Silver Wyvern at 'The Poetry on the Lake' Festival at Lake Orta, Italy in 2007 and the Plough, the East Riding and the Segora prizes in 2008/2009. He is currently engaged in writing a monograph on the Poet's Notebook and, with fellow poet Terry Gifford, preparing the launch of a bi-lingual edition of recent poems 'The Other Side of Aguiolar.' His first full collection 'Explaining the Circumstances' is to be published by Oversteps Books in Spring 2010.