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We are delighted to invite Phil Kirby to this FRP Zoom event.

Phil worked in the family business as a carpenter and joiner before studying to become an English teacher. He began writing after reading Larkin’s ‘Mr Bleaney’ in a school anthology, and started placing poetry in journals and magazines in the early 90s. In 1994 he left teaching – briefly – and promptly won an East Midlands Arts writer’s bursary and a place on their prestigious ‘New Voices’ reading tour.

During this period, he ran Waldean Press, publishing pamphlets by the likes of Martin Stannard, Amanda Dalton, Pam Thompson and Michael Bartholomew-Biggs. Consequently, Waldean Press also received recognition and support from East Midlands Arts.

In addition, Phil has taught many adult writing classes through the WEA, conducted residencies in a secondary school and a hospice and judged competitions.

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We are delighted to invite Julie Sampson and Michellle Diaz to this FRP Zoom event.

Julie Sampson’s work is widely published in magazines and anthologies, and has been shortlisted, or highly commended in a variety of competitions (including Survision, James Tate Memorial Prize and Geoff Steven’s Memorial Poetry Prize).
She edited Mary Lady Chudleigh; Selected Poems (Shearsman, 2009) and has three collections: Tessitura (Shearsman, 2011); It was when it was when it was (Dempsey and Windle, 2018); and Fivestones (Lapwing publications, 2022).
Julie has a PhD on writer H.D. (Exeter University, 1997). She researches the history of Devon’s women writers and is preparing publication of a non-fiction book as well as follow up collection to Fivestones, focused on Devon landscapes and family history.

Michelle Diaz lives in Glastonbury. She was made Chaired Bard of Ynis Witrin in 2022 – The Jubilee year. This meant lots of civic and poetic responsibilities.
She has been published in numerous journals, both online and in print ie Candlestick Press, Under the Radar and 14 Magazine. 
She was recently nominated for the Forward prize in the Single Poem category.
Her debut pamphlet ‘The Dancing Boy’ was published in 2019 by Against the Grain.
She is working on her first full collection.

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