Stories from the Eyes of An Owl Readings & Videos
In this audio-visual archive, you will find diverse voices; poets and writers from across the globe reading their work, either in recording or on video. Please be mindful that all works recorded here are broadcast with permission and that any unauthorised transmission, copying, editing or in any way whatsoever, transforming, quoting, or reproducing, will result in criminal prosecution and treated as criminal copyright-law infringement.
We showcase work responsibly and equally hold our audience and readership to the same equitable standard in the respectful treatment of all works presented, hosted or published by Rare Swan Press in any media. We wish such declarations were unnecessary and thank you for your support and understanding.
Thank you for joining us and enjoy the company of our poets.
Stories from the Eyes of an Owl Ekphrastic Competition Shortlist 2021
“All the longlist entries were breathtaking and it was a huge honour and privilege for me, as a collage artist/poet to see how fellow poets transformed the image into something extraordinary and magical. I can’t thank Rare Swan enough for providing this opportunity for creative dialogue.”
— Sarah-Jane Crowson, Visual Poet
Winner ‘Largactil’ by Ankh Spice
Ankh Spice
“Largactil”
Ankh Spice is a sea-obsessed poet from Aotearoa – New Zealand. Over the last two years, more than a hundred of his poems have been published internationally, and his work has been nominated eight times for the Pushcart Prize and/or Best of the Net. He was joint winner of The Poetry Archive’s WorldView competition in 2020 with his poem ‘New Cloth’. His reading of this poem is held in perpetuity in the Archive. His work explores a range of themes close to his heart: environmental change, mental health, trauma, conscience, identity, queerness, physicality, mythology, natural science, spirituality, directed attention, language as magic, the unique landscape of Aotearoa, the persistent briefness of being human, and his second enduring love, the ocean.
Ankh’s debut full poetry collection, The Water Engine, was published by Femme Salvé Books (an imprint of Animal Heart Press) in November 2021:
Ankh also has editing roles at Icefloe Press and Barren Magazine.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AnkhSpiceSeaGoatScreamsPoetry
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-448322296
Iamb: https://www.iambapoet.com/ankh-spice
The Poetry Archive: https://poetryarchive.org/poem/wordview-2020-new-cloth/
Shortlist from Ekphrastic Competition 2021 based on ‘Stories from the eyes of an owl’ Sarah-Jane Crowson
Ankh Spice
“Mapping the Secret Chord” Runner-up
Gaynor Kane
“Stage Left”
Gaynor Kane is from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She came to writing late, after finishing a degree with a creative writing module. Her full collection, ‘Venus in Pink Marble’ was released on her 50th birthday in 2020, published by the Hedgehog Poetry Press. She has three other publications, from the same press: a micro collection, ‘Circling the Sun’ (2018), about the early aviatrixes, a chapbook, ‘Memory Forest’ (2019), about burial rituals and last wishes, and a co-authored chapbook of pandemic poetry ‘Penned In’ along with Karen Mooney (2020). Her forthcoming chapbook of love poems ‘Eight Types of Love’ is due to be published in 2022. Her poems have earned places in several competitions. She has been guest editor of the Bangor Literary journal and has also performed at several festivals, including the Belfast Book Festival, Stendhal Music and Arts Festival and Cheltenham Poetry Festival.
Website: www.gaynorkane.com
Twitter: @gaynorkane
Facebook: @gaynorkanepoet
Instagram: @gaynorkanepoet
Roger Hare
“The Enquiry of Owl Light”
While working as a retail bookseller and then as a community development worker Roger rediscovered the love for poetic writing he had in his youth. He has enjoyed finding ways to broker observations of the world into words and is grateful that some have found their way into publication online and in-print. He was a prizewinner in the 2020 Manchester Cathedral Poetry Competition and been commended/longlisted in the 2021 Allingham Poetry Prize, 2021 Yaffle Prize and 2020 Frosted Firsts Pamphlet competition.
Louise Mather
“Stars of Tabula Rasa” Read by Marcelle Newbold.
Louise Mather is a writer from Northern England and founding editor of Acropolis Journal. Nominated Best of the Net 2021, and a finalist in the Streetcake Experimental Writing Prize, her work is published in various print and online literary journals. Her debut pamphlet ‘The Dredging of Rituals’ is out with Alien Buddha Press, 2021. She writes about ancestry, motherhood, endometriosis, fatigue and mental health.
Twitter @lm2020ukbio
Z.R. Ghani
“Antlered Queen”
Zania R. Ghani is based in North London, UK. Her poems have featured in Magma, Black Bough Poetry, The Willowherb Review, Arachne Press, and The Adriatic. Her poetry collection ‘In the Name of Red’ was shortlisted for the Poetry Wales Pamphlet Competition in October 2021. She has also recently received a Pushcart Prize nomination for her poem ‘When I died’.
Instagram: @z.r.ghani
Rare Swan Press. All Rights Reserved. 2011 – 2022