Joan Poulson

“A good poem can be rich as hot Venetian chocolate but must be sleek as a mountain hare.”

About Joan Poulson

In ‘Pictures in my Mind’, bright snapshot memories of a summer holiday are carefully carried home. And all of Joan Poulson’s poems create pictures in the mind – usually rich images of the natural world, which she loves. Imagined menageries often find their way in – as in ‘So small’ and ‘This Might Not Sound Serious’.

Joan knows what the world looks like when we are young, or if we are very small, or even an animal. A small observation or a tiny detail is often her starting point. The poem then unfolds, with twists and turns along the way. A cat in trouble … for licking a cake … that was baked for … Who was it baked for? Listen to ‘How was I to Know?’ to find out!

Although many of Joan’s poems are in free verse, you can hear that they still use strong rhythms. Her similes and metaphors bring the poem pictures to life.

Joan was born in Manchester. As a child she spent a lot of time with her Grandfather, who read to her, told her stories and made up songs. He took her into the countryside, where he told her to use her eyes and ears. All this made her the poet she later became.

Joan began her writing career as food writer, and is now a poet and playwright. Through her poems, she shares her great love of the natural world. She also enjoys working with other artists such as musicians, sculpture, dancers and painters.

Joan's poems were recorded on June 29th 2010 at the Audio Workshop, London and were produced by Anne Rosenfeld.