DIVERSIFLY

This anthology, of new poetry and art about Britain',s urban birds, grew out of the close encounters I have had with birds when visiting central London from my home on the Shropshire-Wales border. I noticed how much closer I could get to blackbirds and other shy birds there. I noticed the number of people with headphones to their ears, and phones in front of their eyes. I thought about the joy I get from watching birds and how at my lowest times their constancy, their flight and their song have enlivened me.You will see from the contents page that only a sample of birds seen in Britain&rsquo,s towns and cities are included, and that there are a particularly large number of responses to both pigeons and gulls. I like this. These are the birds the poets and artists who took part in this project responded to. I have chosen work I hope you will enjoy &ndash, whether you are an expert or novice in poetry, art, or ornithology.At www.fairacrepress.co.uk you can read the blogs I wrote on urban birds to encourage people to pick up a pen or paintbrush. There you can also download or stream six free podcasts