THINKING TOO MUCH blog has moved

Image of new website homepage

My new website, complete with blog posts and all of the blogs from this site, has now gone live.

The new site offers not only the chance to make blog posts but also a chance to add more information about the work I do including a page giving details of my creative writing workshops.

The new site can be accessed from the link below:

 www.seamuskellypoetry.co.uk

I have also created a new site for my photography where you can buy prints in a wide selection of sizes both framed and unframed at:

www.imagesbyseamuskelly.co.uk

Finally I have social media accounts and pages as follows:

 https://www.instagram.com/shaythepoet/

https://twitter.com/Shaythepoet

https://www.instagram.com/imagesbyseamuskelly/

Thinking Too Much is on the move!

Wishing to gain a bit more control of my blog and to add more features to my site I have started the process of transferring this blog to a Wordpress platform hosted on my own domain - www.seamuskellypoetry.co.uk

The move should make it easier to have a number of more static information pages so that I will be able to include features like a diary with details of forthcoming events, more media pages, sections about workshops, talks etc., subscriptions and options to purchase my work either in paper form or the soon to be released ebook version.

So far the move is progressing well as I learn new controls and tools. All of the posts that have been made in this blog are being transferred to the new platform.

I'm hoping the transition will be completed in the next couple of weeks but in the meantime this version of the Thinking Too Much blog will be staying just where it is.

Thinking Too Much - Praise from poet and writer James Nash

Thinking Too Much
A collection of Poems by
Seamus Kelly

After the launch of Thinking Too Much, in October 2015, I was delighted to receive the following comments about the collections from James Nash; one of the North's foremost poets and writers and a man who has been a great inspiration for my work:

"Seamus Kelly's poetry is the poetry of journeys and places. Sometimes that place is the past and sometimes it is where nature and people intersect. But always it is written with a kind of passionate precision, and with great humanity."

After the introduction the book continues with a quote from Pablo Neruda's La Injustica which seemed appropriate for inclusion after the introduction; speaking as it does about discovering others through discovering oneself.

"Quien descubre el quien soy descrubrira el quien eres"

There are 34 poems in the book covering a wide range of issues from family, love, death and illness, to my own views on society and some of the things that are wrong with it. Writing about others and oneself is indeed a process of discovery and a collection is a way of sharing some of what we have learned along the way. Of course it isn't all doom and gloom and there are amusing and hopefully inspiring tales in this short collection and hopefully readers might make a few discoveries of their own.

A second print run is being prepared but there are still a handful of copies from the first print available. You can catch me and buy a copy at a poetry or writing event for £7 per copy - I'll be happy to sign it for you.

If you would prefer to have a copy delivered to your door then that can be arranged by emailing me at info@seamuskellypoetry.co.uk and I can arrange payment through PayPal or cheque.

Touchstones Creative Writing Group - "Writing to Order" workshop - February 2016

Rochdale Town Hall,
a stones throw from Touchstones

Rochdale's Touchstones Creative Writing Group (TCWG) invited me to run two of their monthly workshops during 2016 and I was delighted to accept their invitation and to deliver my brand new "Writing to Order" workshop for their February session.

The session shows how any writer or anyone who aspires to be a writer for whatever reason can benefit from some tips and techniques from professional writers.

The TCWG is a very enthusiastic group and with 19 people attending we were assured of plenty of questions, productive discussions and of course a fair amount of creative writing. After introducing the session with a short section of my poem, "I'm a bloody poet now", I explained that basis of the session, some of the learning outcomes and set the mood by reading another of my poems, "Blank", which talks about the problem faced by a writer trying to get past the blank page.

The whole group contributed to discussions, took part in the writing exercises and kept me on my toes with a constant stream of intelligent questions - a facilitator really can't ask for more than that.

I am now really looking forward to reading some of the completed work from the session and also to my next session for TCWG, in August, when I will be delivering another of this year's new workshops "Sketching with Words".

"Writing to Order "is just one of a number of workshops that I offer to writing groups, schools and community groups; SEE MY BLOG POST HERE for details of my other workshops.

Fees and further details of my workshops are available by email:   info@seamuskellypoetry.co.uk

NEW WRITING WORKSHOPS FOR 2016

I am very pleased to announce my brand new collection of writing workshops for 2016. 

Seamus Kelly
Poet, Writer,
Teacher & Facilitator

Rochdale, UK

The Worlds Inside My Head (Adults/KS4/KS3)

Using objects and images to stimulate creative ideas and create and perform short poems or stories of the worlds inside our heads.

High Speed Haiku (Adults/KS4/KS3)

Introducing the Haiku form, its origins, history and "rules" and developing new work on a range of traditional and modern themes.

In My Own Voice (Adults/KS4)

Helping developing writers to trust and believe in their own voice with examples from well known poets and writers.

Writing to Order (Adults/KS4)

A workshop using the techniques of professional writers to help writers become more creative, more productive and to expand their horizons.

Sketching with Words (Adults/KS4)

Using a range of tools and techniques to record people, places events and ideas and how to develop those in our writing.

Bespoke workshops and readings are also available; all designed to provide inspiration, engagement, writer development and entertainment with the focus chosen by the commissioning organisation or group.

My workshops are delivered as two hour sessions and are suitable for adults (age 16+) and children at Keystage 3 (ages 11-14) or Keystage 4 (ages 14 to 16), as indicated above for each workshop.

All workshops include the provision of copies of the relevant resources for the group leader or school staff including copies of poems, relevant links and, where requested, a digital audio recording of the participants work.

Further Details:

You can contact me to discuss workshops, bespoke sessions and fees or make bookings by email at info@seamuskellypoetry.co.uk