C. S. Barnes

C.S. Barnes, or Charley to her pals, is the current Worcestershire Poet Laureate (2019-2020). She is a lecturer at the University of Worcester, and at Newman University, where she teaches Creative Writing and associated subjects. Barnes gained her PhD from the University of Birmingham in 2017, and went on to publish the creative element of her thesis as her debut novel.

Barnes has published two novels, Intention and Copycat, with Bloodhound Books. She has also published two poetry pamphlets under the name of Charley Barnes, titled A Z-hearted Guide to Heartache (V. Press, 2018) and Body Talk (Picaroon Poetry, 2019). She has also authored a chapbook of prose titled Death Is A Terrible House Guest (Black Light Engine Room, 2019). She is currently working on her third novel.

You can keep up with Barnes’ writing by following her on Twitter: @charleyblogs

LEAF-EATER

Take a look at the natural world through a dog’s senses.

Lockdown has been a troubling time for the mental health of many, and the poet of this pamphlet has found a refreshing and enriching way of dealing with this. Spending increasing amounts of time outside with her puppy in various landscapes, she has been learning the world anew through him.

GO ON A ROAD TRIP

A brief confrontation with an upsetting outcome, this short piece of fiction introduces the off-beat tone of Esther Harrison.

Esther is journeying to Scotland to visit her estranged mother. The reason for this trip is that Esther’s father, who she has been caring for for some years, is going to pass away soon. He has asked Esther to reach out to her mother with one final correspondence from him – which isn’t his only hope in orchestrating this trip.