I’m developing a new interview and review series. I’ve long believed that poets deserve more than empty praise. They deserve to be read carefully, responded to honestly, and spoken to with respect, whether the work lands or not. That’s where In Conversation, In Critique comes in.
This new series on my personal author site is an ongoing feature that will be a part of PIL (Promoting Indie Lit) that does exactly what the name suggests: it pairs an in-depth, written-up interview with a poet alongside a frank and considered review of their work. Think of it as a meeting point between curiosity and critique, a space where a poet’s voice is centred, but the work is never glossed over.
The review portion of the piece will always be honest. Not cruel, not careless, but as anybody who has read my reviews previously, unflinching. If I admire the work, I’ll say so, and I’ll say why. If I don’t, I’ll still say why; but I’ll do it with care and without ego. Because here’s the thing: my opinion isn’t gospel. It’s just that, an opinion. As my MA dissertation supervisor once told me, “The most important thing you’ll ever hear about an academic critic is this: yeah, but what does he know?” That line has stayed with me ever since, and it applies here just as much.
So no, this isn’t a space for sycophantic write-ups or back-patting puff pieces. In Conversation, In Critique will be for poets who are serious about the craft and want their work to be engaged with seriously, even if that means it gets questioned, challenged, or picked apart a little. Especially if it does.
Because we don’t grow by being told we’re brilliant. We grow by being heard, properly heard, and by having someone reflect back what they see, with care and with clarity. I’ll always look for what’s working in a poet’s style, voice, form, or subject matter. I’ll uplift what they do well, and I’ll give space for them to articulate their aims and approaches in their own words. But if something feels flat, imitative, clumsy, or over-polished, I’ll say that too. Not to tear anyone down, I know what it takes to write poems and send them out into the world, but to give honest reflection that might be useful, or at least thought-provoking.
I want these features to build bridges between poets and readers, and between poets and their own work. It’s a two-way conversation. I’ll ask a short series of questions in advance that give me a sense of who the poet is, what drives their writing, and what they want the reader to take from it. Then I’ll sit with the work. I’ll read it like it matters. Because it does.
And when I respond, it won’t be with academic detachment or choreographed praise. It’ll be as a poet, editor, and reader who gives a damn.
In Conversation, In Critique is about creating a space where poetry gets treated seriously, not solemnly, but seriously. Where opinion is welcomed, not weaponised. Where being read is more important than being praised.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful spotlight and an honest response, let’s have a conversation — and a critique.
