How to become an experimental poet

Wheelsong Books has published a new book. This one is not a poetry collection, but is a guide to experimental poetry. Consider it a companion to consult on your journey to becoming a better writer. For member of Invisible Poets, Wheelsong Poetry, Pure Poetry and Safe Haven, all copies can be purchased at half price (Amazon price) by emailing wheelsong6@gmail.com.

About the book

Creative Deviance: How to Become an Experimental Poet is an interactive textbook that empowers aspiring poets to break free from tradition and embrace the art of creative risk. Blending theory with hands-on practice, this guide explores the techniques, history, and philosophy behind experimental poetry, from dismantling conventional forms to crafting hybrid works that blur the lines between genres. Packed with prompts, insights, and more than 50 practical exercises, Creative Deviance offers tools to unlock your unique voice and push the boundaries of what poetry can achieve. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just beginning your poetic journey, this book is your blueprint for innovation and self-discovery. Read more at this link.

About the author

Steve Wheeler says he has never really fit in anywhere. He wears it as a badge of honour. He is a performance poet and creative deviant and loves to experiment with all forms of art. A former academic psychologist and lecturer, Steve now spends a lot of his time creating his own versions of music, poetry and many other strange things.

At 16 years, he attended Hereford College of Art where he studied fine arts, graphic design and photography. The latter led him into a career in learning technology, and ultimately a position as Associate Professor in Education at a large British university. He holds a Research degree in philosophy, a Bachelor degree in psychology, a Masters degree in research methods, and two Teacher certificates.

He lives in the Ocean City of Plymouth, on the beautiful southwest coast of England. During his career he has authored a multitude of academic texts and more than a dozen poetry books. Steve is founder of Invisible Poets, one of the fastest growing and most innovative poetry groups on the Web. He is has been a composer member of the Performing Rights Society since 1984, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2013.

A sample from the book 

Experimental poetry should be viewed as more than just a slightly oddball pursuit; the methods contained within experimental poetry can become vital tools for honing your writing skills. Further, it may even make your poetry stand out from the crowd. As we will see in this book, challenging traditional structures and conventions, experimental poetry encourages writers to think outside the box, bolstering their creativity and helping them to innovate their craft.

One of the key benefits of engaging with experimental poetry is the development of linguistic agility. Writing in unconventional forms—whether through fragmented syntax, nonlinear narratives, or abstract imagery—pushes writers to explore a vast range of expressive potential. Furthermore, experimentation with sound, rhythm, tempo and visual arrangement helps poets to learn how they can manipulate tone, mood, and meaning in a number of nuanced ways.

Furthermore, experimental poetry cultivates a deeper understanding of form and structure by requiring writers to invent or subvert them. Through this process, poets become more aware of the implicit rules that govern conventional writing and gain confidence to break them with purpose. This freedom opens the door to new styles, genres, and modes of storytelling.

Experimentation also increases a poet’s appetite for taking risks. By embracing uncertainty and stepping out into unfamiliar territory, poets learn to approach their craft with greater boldness and curiosity. The lessons learnt from failed experiments and crumpled sheets of paper under the desk can often be as valuable as those you gain from successful ones. Failure can foster resilience and flexibility. You should never fear it.

Steve Wheeler

Finding Your True Poetic Voice and Why it’s Crucial to Experiment With It

 

Hello growing poets! Have you ever read poetry from another artist and said to yourself “I wish I could write like that”? Have you ever struggled to find unique approaches or “ technical specialties” to further broaden the uniqueness of your work of art? In this blog, I will discuss a few ways to help ensure consistent originality in your work no matter what form you decide to use (including freestyle). 

1. (Explore Unfamiliar Themes)

Try challenging yourself to write about topics outside your comfort zone. Delving into new themes can spark creativity and lead to unique perspectives, ideas that help distinguish your voice. It’s overall crucial to experiment to find a solid foundation for your body of work. 

2. (Engage in Free-writing)

This is another handy technique used in multiple different ways, but a notorious way is to set a timer for ten minutes and write without stopping. (You can do this without a timer.) This stream-of-consciousness approach can at times unlock hidden thoughts and feelings, revealing aspects of your voice that may not surface through structured writing. Although not always an effective approach, when it is, I find people really make impactful work. I compare this to being a musician; sometimes the songs you create the quickest and with the least thought end up having the most soul. Something to definitely ponder on. 

3. (Create a Personal Lexicon)  

Do you ever come across a word that you don’t know what it means in a poem? Does this at times make you lost at the inner poem’s meaning? Have you ever read a poem so well written that you understood what a word meant because of the context of its placement even without knowing the definition? I find vocabulary to be essential in adding originality and flavor both to your works. A recommendation to utilize this would be to develop a list of words, phrases, or images that resonate deeply with you. What I used to do is write a word down I’d come across not knowing the meaning and then writing the definition until the word becomes memorized. Incorporate these into your poetry to create a signature style that will majorly reflect your individuality. A thesis can be a handy friend for this aspect as well. 

4. (Experiment with Sound, Rhythm, and Counting Syllables.)

   

Play with the musicality of your words through Alliteration(Repetition of initial consonant sounds)

Assonance (Repetition of vowels sounds within words.)

Also, try counting syllables (Units of sound in a word.)

Always seek new creative ways to enhance your poem’s flow. This exploration of sound can lead to a distinctive flow that enhances your originality and poetic voice.

5. (Reflect on What Resonates With You)

   

Identify poets or works that inspire you and analyze what draws you to them. By understanding your influences, you can consciously weave elements into your own style while ensuring it remains distinctly yours. For example, look at poems that resonate with you and try to pinpoint why that particular poem resonates with you? Was it a part of the rhythm? Poetic devices or implied techniques? 

6: (Never Slave To a Poetic Form or Rhyme)

Sometimes using structured approaches, forms and techniques can be fun and effective but also breaking the rules can at times be more effective. Have you ever read a poem and felt a word was placed only because of its rhythm even though it adds nothing to the construct of the piece of art? This is often called force rhymes and most of us have done it prior at one point or another. When in this rut find and focus on a word that benefits your poem and adds more value to it as a whole than just the rhythm. Oftentimes, in my own work I do this and I’ve found that you can use a word that has nothing to do with the rhythm and if effectively used not only can it add value to the poem as a whole but also can maintain the flow of the poem just as effective as a rhyming word. 

I use all of these methods in my own writing and I would encourage you to experiment with these handy topics and techniques. If applied correctly and effortfully I can GUARANTEE these will help you not only improve the originality of your work but you will also find your poetic “voice” as well as finding your footing in this vast poetic world. 

By: Brandon Adam Haven 

Photo from: Brandon Adam Haven 

Review of 2024: Part Three

Autumn of 2024 was busier than ever for Wheelsong Books. This is part 3 in our review of the year. Part one can be read at this link and part two can be viewed here.

August

As August began, Wheelsong's next publication was released. It was Storming Oblivion by the mercurial New York poet Peter Rivers. This book was Peter's first full collection of published poetry and it certainly caused a small storm with its moody cover design and extraordinary poetry. 

Writing about his debut collection, Peter says:

This collection represents a journey through my own expression, recognizing the potential value within my own voice. Storming Oblivion will present tales of love, loss, fear, doubt, feelings that lack reciprocity and more. Travel with me on my road to self-discovery as I share the deepest parts of my soul with you in my quest for self-acceptance.

September

As the summer drew to a close and the leaves began to change colour, Wheelsong Books published an amazing collection of poetry titled Stealing Fire.  Written by Irish poet Tyrone M. Warren, Stealing Fire is a radical departure from much of Wheelsong's previous offerings. Tyrone is a poet with a difference. He speaks from his own experience about a number of challenging issues including domestic abuse, urban alienation and addiction. His writing is visceral, stream of consciousness style and it utterly captures your attention. Tyrone lived in London for many years but recently made his home in the idyllic Cornish countryside.

He says about his own writing craft:

It’s been a hard graft starting from scratch again and I feel a sincere gratitude to have had this opportunity like God heard my heart and I had the clarity to see and read the signs.

October

The much awaited Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 5 was published as Autumn decended. Edited by myself, with able assistance from Brandon Adam Haven and Charlene Phare, WSPA5 features poetry from all six continents, and has become just as popular as all its previous siblings. The cover art is a photo I took from street level of skyscrapers in Manhattan while working in New York in 2015. 

Containing poems in many styles and diverse themes, WSPA5 is an excellent addition to anyone's poetry collection, and features a number of new poets previously unpublished. 

As ever, sales of every book contribute to Wheelsong's charity donations, with more than £6,500 ($8,100) so far being given to Save the Children to help feed, provide health care and educate children in crisis. Wheelsong will continue to create these books for as long as there is an audience to read them. 

November

The final book of 2024 was published in November and it was quite a pleasant surprise to many poetry fans. Circus of Circles by young Irish poet Aoife Cunningham caused quite a stir, not only due to its fiercely vibrant cover art, but also because of the way the book created a new dimension for Aoife's dynamic and powerful spoken word performances. 

Much of her work in the book derives from personal mental struggles and dark, painful places, as well as life in a lage Irish family, but as ever it is all delivered with her inimitable wit and humour. Aoife presents her art with grace and style, always infused with the unmistakeable culture and charm of the Emerald Isle. 

We hope to hear a lot more from this talented young poet in the coming years. 

December

In the final month of the year Invisible Poets reached the significant milestone of 50,000 members. Less than 2 years old, the group thrives from a range of activities including several regular live shows from the UK, USA, Brazil and other countries, energising experimental poetry exercises and engaging writing challenges, many of which yield a diverse range of poems and creative works shared on the site. 

To celebrate reaching 50,000, Wheelsong has created a special T-Shirt which presents the slogan 'Poetry Against Poverty'. Needless to say, every sale raises a fair amount of money to support children in crisis across the globe. In the new year, Wheelsong has plans to establish an online store selling a range of merchandising that will further support Save the Children. Watch out for announcements on the group sites!

Previous parts of this annual review are available:

Review of 2024 (Part One)

Review of 2024 (Part Two)

Steve Wheeler

Review of 2024: Part Two

The first part of this annual review can be read at this link.

May

As the summer of 2024 began to break through, May saw the publication of Marmalade Hue by Oldham poet Donna Marie Smith. There's a story behind this cover. During the production stage Donna and I discussed the title of the book, and I asked her to come up with a title that lent itself to imagery. Marmalade Hue was chosen because it immediately conjured up a picture in my mind. The image was one I took of trees in winter, which I then colourised. 

Donna's gritty, down-to-earth but very humorous and touching book has been quite popular, and has attracted some glowing reviews, including this one by American poet Gregory Richard Barden: 

This wonderful book of poetry is filled with so much beautifully expressed content, presented with eloquence and charm, I would recommend this for everyone – get one for your nightstand or coffee table, and take this marvellous journey through poetic excellence!

June

As the month of June began, Wheelsong published its next collection of the year, by Gregory Richard Barden. Melancholy Moon is the first of several collections that will be published by Greg through Wheelsong. Greg's eloquently crafted poetry deserves a much larger audience than he currently enjoys, and hopefully this book will begin to make him more visible in the poetry community.

Greg is a master of the fixed form genre of poetry and his stunning poetry is very rich in both imagery and metaphor. It's quite exciting to anticipate what he will create in his next book.As Mark Massey remarked in his review: 

Greg Barden’s collection of poetry touches every emotion. His sonnets are perfection. This book needs to be in your collection.

July

There has been a demand to publish a second collection from Matt Elmore ever since his first book, Constellation Road hit the bookshelves. In July Wheelsong finally released a superb collection from the Kentucky poet that we hope does justice to his poetic genius. Matt creates poetry that is breathless, relentless and thrilling. In Average Angel, he conjures up a very enjoyable sequence of poems that challenge, thrill and amaze.

In Matt's own words:

Average angels surround us. They give more than they take. They make life worthwhile and they light up our lives. Do you know any? This is about them… Life is a game of opposites. Positive and negative, pleasure and pain… life and death. There are many who cannot reconcile the good from the bad because there seems to be such little hope without some form of unseen intervention.

August

My own book of new poetry, The Infinite Now was published in August of 2024. It contained a collection of diverse themes and styles. I think it's my most sophisticated book to date, but I won't blow my own trumpet. I'll introduce my brass section instead:

This extraordinary volume ... is a magnificent achievement of poetic excellence, inspiring spirituality, and exceptional beauty. Steve Wheeler is a modern master creating an immense breadth and depth of poetic forms and intriguing themes. – Linda Powers O'Dell

From the preface, through the verse-gilded pages, to the very last punctuation point, this book is a rich and varied glimpse into the realms of a prolific poet and a wondrous imagination. Every selection is a new spell-binding story that will leave you breathless, enriched, and wanting for more. Of all the many anthologies I have read of late, this one was the hardest to put down. – Gregory Richard Barden


The final part of this annual review can be read at this link.

Steve Wheeler

Review of 2024: Part One

2024 has been a busy and very productive year for Wheelsong Books and Invisible Poets. Here is the first of three parts of a comprehensive review of our achievements and successes over the year.

January 

The goal Wheelsong Books set itself as a publisher in 2024 was to publish one book each month. The first book off the Wheelsong press in 2024 was a collection of my own poetry from 2020-2023, titled All the Best (this is usually how I sign off an email). 

The poems in the collection were drawn from a number of previously published books including RITE, Shocks & Stares, My Little Eye and Nocturne. It contains poems such as Yasmina, I Ordered an Uber and a Hearse Showed up Instead, and many more.

What may have baffled some readers is the section headings which were all named in Latin or Greek. That's just me having a little fun with language!

February

As an online poetry community, Invisible Poets celebrated its first birthday in February 2024, a milestone commemorated by the publication of Invisible Poets Anthology 1. IPA1 is a collection of premier poetry all of which has featured in Live Poets Society shows. The best of the best poetry featured in the book, which is still on sale today to raise money for Save the Children. In total, the book featured more than 350 poems and at just over 300 pages, is the largest volume Wheelsong has published to date.

The cover art is a split image of artistic graffiti I found in a motorway underpass just a half mile away from my house. My daughter Amy Wheeler took the image, which features me in a green hoodie. The separated image of the hooded poet has since become the icon for Invisible Poets, and now features on our charity T-shirts (of which more later). 

March

As the first signs of Spring began to appear, we were working on the final touches of a wonderful collection by American poet David Catterton Grantz. Previously an educator, Dave's poetry has an ethereal lyrical quality that has to be experienced to be believed. Shadows into Light really showcases his unique talent as a poet, and although it may have been the first Wheelsong publication, it was in fact his fifth published collection. 

His work is summed up nicely by Ellis Ralph, wordsmith and singer-songwriter: 

Grantz is an expected surprise, a familiar novelty, dependably unpredictable in form and content, style and mood ever shifting his ideas, and yours. Strap in and ride shotgun in whatever vehicle he’s driving, to wherever it goes. He knows the way.

April

The Wheelsong Poetry Anthology is becoming a regular twice-a-year event, with contributions drawn from five or more large poetry groups across the online network. Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 4 was edited by me, ably assisted by Donna Smith and Matt Elmore, and what a difficult job we had! We received more than 500 submissions in just 3 weeks, and systematically waded through each, to select the very best of the best. I think the editorial team managed to do a very good job, as the collection clearly indicates. It's a great book, well worth a read, and hopefully it will become a classic in time. 

The beautiful image was donated by David Catterton Grantz to grace the front cover of our flagship publication. All proceeds are donated to our favourite charity, Save the Children and every sale raises enough to feed a malnourished child for almost a month. 

Continue reading the review of 2024 in these posts:

Review of 2024: Part Two (May-August)

Review of 2024: Part Three (September-December)

Steve Wheeler

Experimental Poetry 19: Sonic poems

The spoken word can be extremely powerful.  It can impact heavily on the emotions because it's a sensory mode we use constantly, and the human voice can convey a rich variation of inflexions, tones and nuances of emphases. Furthermore, the current generation is a listening generation. You just need to sit on an underground train, or stand in any public place to see how many people are using headphones or ear buds connected to their devices.

Have you tried to record yourself reading your poetry? Have you ever used music or sonic effects to enhance your poems? It has never been easier to embellish an audio track with additional content such as a rythmic beat or soundscape. Be careful if you want to use someone else's music. Most music is copyrighted, so you'd need to obtain permission. 

If you'd rather streamline things, you have two options. 1) create your own music (this is the topic for another blog post) or 2) find copyright free music you can use for free without any legal hassle. Always check the terms of use for free music. 

If you choose the music first, listen to it as you write your poem. As you do so you may find that you begin to adapt your lines and phrasing to the tempo of the track. This takes some practice but the aim is to fuse your words with the music so they become one entity, one piece of art. In good sonic poetry, the words and the sounds complement each other. 

The most effective and unique sonic poems feature sounds and utterances rather than recognisable words or phrases. Try writing while avoiding the use of words. 

Steve Wheeler 

Computer Plundering (Writing Our Own Poems)

Poets unite!!

The blatant attack on the originality of the collective poetic soul continues as AI sucks the blood of our human family emotions and spits it back out in the name of art. Yet is the poetic “art” AI offers subjective, when held up to the light of the human world to judge?

What determines the merit of AI authenticity? Who holds the keys to the expression and perspective representing the kingdom of humanity? WE DO!!! The dreamers of dreams and actors upon a stage unapproachable by the algorithms and viperous poison of computer plundering.

I am continually shocked at the audacity of humans to use computers to write poems and consider it as viable as masterworks we have cherished for generations. The ability to create fresh and conceptually original work has propelled artists for centuries. 

I’ve dreamed for years of a poetry renaissance that brings poets together in one concentrated effort to find an explicit and profound beauty in truth. This truth is one that machines will never recognize. They can only copy, paste, and adapt to our organic navigation.

An all out war against the constraints of the current rules of poetry is evident and always has been. Apathy has brought many so called poets to the point of allowing computers to do their homework and get celebrated grades. It’s time to drop out of this school of thought.

There is a school of poets that are dedicated to perceiving, creating, and reciprocating all the emotions of dreams only we as humans can dream. What does this mean? 

DREAM YOUR OWN DREAMS POET!!! DRAW FROM EXPERIENCES AND MAKE A PERSONAL STATEMENT THAT IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE!! YOU ARE THE POET… NOT A BLINKING BOX OF LACKLUSTER LIGHTS!!!!! BE THE BEST POET YOU… AND ONLY YOU… CAN BE!!!!!!!

Matthew Elmore

Author Of “Constellation Road”

& “Average Angel”

 

10 ways to survive Invisible Poets

This week we reached 50,000 members. It would have been a lot more, but not everyone who has been in the group has stayed. Quite a few people have come to a sad end on Invisible Poets. Many of those who have been removed (or in Moderator parlance - 'walked the plank') for being rude and abusive, or for peddling porn, or for deceiving members with scams. These are the undesirable people we don't want in our group. They make the group unsafe, uncomfortable and cause a lot of grief. You can thank your vigilant moderator and Admin team for the lovely, creative and supportive place that Invisible Poets has become. 

There are also a lot of members who don't seem to be able to cope with the way Invisible Poets is run. Some leave the group because they think they are being ignored by other members, or they are being victimised or marginalised by moderators. This is a shame, because they are sadly mistaken, and tend to leave the good ship IP needlessly. 

Here are 10 key tips for you, on how to survive and thrive in the group:

1) Don't stand idly by and hope that people will come to your poem and laud it with showers of comments, love hearts and thumbs ups. It won't happen if you simply share your poem and sit back. Your poem won't show up on the timelines of members because Facebook has an algorithm that only makes you visible to others when you interact with them. So here's the first tip: Read other people's poetry and comment on it, or tap the Like button. That way you'll be more visible. 

2) Don't get angry and blame Admin or Moderators if your post or comment is refused. Post rejections usually happen automatically. The system is set up to reject certain key phrases that usually occur in spam and scam robot posts. Another reason your work may be automatically rejected is if you have no user picture.  Choose an image (either your own photograph, or some other image) that represents your account. That way your posts and comments will not be automatically rejected.

3) Watch the live shows whenever you can. Not only are they entertaining, they contain a lot of information and you also get treated to the very best poetry from the group, several times each week - and all for free!

4) Give more than you take. This is not just altruistic (see point 1 above) but it does mean that if you start to read other people's work you will learn more about your own art of writing poetry and will probably pick up a lot of new ideas about how to develop your writing skills. 

5) Regularly check the Features section at the top of the group page. Contained there are all the recordings of previous live shows where members' poetry is read out, poetry writing challenges, group news and other gems that might just give you some ideas for new poems.

6) Please don't post your own poems in the comments section of someone else's post.  Some people do this when they see a popular post because they think it will gain them a bigger audience. This is not welcomed in the group, because not only it is self seeking, it's very rude. 

7) If you wish to promote your own books or publications, please make sure you share poems from the books, otherwise you'll be disappointed when a moderator removes your post for breaking the group rules. 

8) Read the blog (yes, this one). There are many excellent posts on here about all things poetry, including explanations of terms, new ideas for poetry writing and a series on experimental poetry. It's there for you to learn from, so please use it whenever you wish.

9) Don't share poetry that you haven't written yourself. We do not permit people to plagiarise the work of others. It is illegal (it breaks copyright laws) and it is dishonest (theft). We also prohibit the use of Artificial Intelligence tools to create poetry. Anyone who does this is not welcome in the group.

10) Finally, please treat everyone in the group with the respect you feel you deserve yourself. Being kind to others doesn't cost anything. A supportive comment, a few kind words or a good piece of encouraging feedback goes a long way. You never know, you might meet people on this group that you'll be friends with for life.

Steve Wheeler

Founder of Invisible Poets

 

Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 5 is published!

Our strapline on Invisible Poets is Poetry Against Poverty, and that's exactly what this new publication is all about. Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 5 contains premier poetry from 130 poets from across all six continents. Showcasing around 250 new poems, the anthology weighs in at 208 pages, so is a substantial tome. 

The cover image is a photo I took in New York City (Manhattan) in 2015. It depicts a variety of high rise buildings and is evocative of reaching for higher things. And that is exactly what the editorial board wishes to achieve - high sales of a great collection of poetry so we can contribute to nutritional, health and education needs of children in crisis and make their lives just a little better. 

Every book sold raises enough money to feed a malnourished child for almost a month, or can purchase a month's supply of water purification tablets. Please be generous, and buy not only a copy for yourself, but further copies for friends, family, colleagues, local libraries, schools etc.

You can find all the links of online stores right here on the Wheelsong Books official website. 

Steve Wheeler

Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 5

Do you want to be a part of something really great? Something that is far more than just poetry? Something that will leave a lasting legacy and do some good in the world? We are about to publish the latest anthology in our charity series, so read on....

Wheelsong Books was established in the UK in 2020 as a not-for-profit organisation. Its mission statement is twofold: To give emerging poets the means to reach larger audiences and to help those who are in need. Since then, the company has published 40 books including seven charity poetry anthologies. Here are some anthology statistics: 

Absolutely Poetry Anthology 1: 170 poems 

Absolutely Poetry Anthology 2: 176 poems 

Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 1: 183 poems 

Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 2: 214 poems 

Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 3: 229 poems

Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 4: 245 poems

Invisible Poets Anthology 1: 352 poems

(a total of 1569 poems written by more than 470 poets representing 108 countries across all 6 continents) 

All the above books are still on sale on Amazon and through other outlets, including Waterstones (UK) and Barnes & Noble (USA). The proceeds from Amazon sales of these books is donated to Save the Children - a worldwide charity that supports children in crisis. At the time of writing, Wheelsong Books has donated £5350.00 ($6825.00) to Save the Children and we are not done yet! At the end of October we will be publishing Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 5.

Dear poet, this is the bottom line... You have been given an amazing creative gift ... your ability to capture your thoughts, ideas, memories and emotions and present them as beautiful, evocative words. 

You can, if you want to join us, use your wonderful talent to freely give back a little to children who are in desperate, often life-threatening situations. 

We all want our poetry to be read and appreciated by others. Publishing your work in Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 5 will ensure that you gain a new audience for your poetry, but that's not the most important aim! 

Better than that is this ... your poems will be helping to raise much needed funds to support children in crisis. You will also retain ownership of your poem, and Wheelsong Books will protect and administer your copyright for you. 

To be considered for inclusion in the review process you will need to follow these instructions very carefully:

Firstly, do not bother to submit your poetry if you do not intend to buy at least one copy of the book. We will expect you to pledge to buy at least one copy direct from Wheelsong Books if your work is published. This is a charity publication, and all profits from Amazon sales will go to help children in crisis. If you're not prepared to invest in helping children, we won't be publishing your poetry (we are dismayed that around two thirds of featured poets do not purchase a copy of the anthologies once they have been published!). Please give more than you take, because this is not about you or Wheelsong - it's about helping children who are in desperate need. 

Secondly, only submit poetry that is a) your own work and b) has not been subject to any other publishing agreement. Poetry you've shared on Facebook and other social media is fine, but please do not send in work that has been published elsewhere, and is subject to another publishing contract. That could lead to legal action. The editorial team will also reject poems if we suspect they have been either plagiarised in part or whole, or generated partly or wholly through artificial intelligence.

Thirdly, submit up to 3 poems as either plain text or in a Word file via email to this address: wheelsong6@gmail.com. Submissions by any other means will not be considered. Poetry submitted as images or photos will not be considered, nor will links to other sites. 

And before you ask: There is NO specific theme. 

Finally, all poems submitted will be subject to review by our editorial team. Your poetry will be anonymised (your name blanked out) so the editorial team can't see who you are. If your poetry is selected, you will be informed via email and a publication agreement will be sent to you for you to complete and return. Your work will be then published under your name. If your work is not accepted for publication, you will receive an email informing you of the team's decision. No correspondence other than via email will be valid. Please don't try to text or direct message us. We won't answer. 

The window for submission is now open, and will be closed at midnight (UK time) on October 4, 2024. Any submissions received after this time/date will be rejected. If there is an extension to this date, you will be informed. The editors' decisions will be final. 

Please Note: Shorter poems are more likely to be accepted for publication than longer pieces - space will be limited in the book due to resource and production limitations. Several poetry groups will participate, including Invisible Poets, Wheelsong Poetry, Pure Poetry and Safe Haven. Poets from outside these groups are also eligible to take part, so point them to this blog, and keep visiting this blog to find out news as it unfolds. We look forward to reading your submissions. Good luck! 

Steve Wheeler (Editor in Chief) 

Photo courtesy of Save the Children