Pulsar Poetry Magazine
General Information
Pulsar Poetry Magazine, ISSN 1361-2336, and Ligden Poetry Society:
Pulsar Poetry Magazine, (now produced twice a year, publication dates: March and September), is an A5 size, 44 page, professionally printed paper production, with a full-colour cover. Pulsar includes poems from all areas of the globe. The magazine also includes book/booklet reviews and reviews of 'live' poetry events. Photographs and illustrations are also featured. Photographs are mainly of poets performing at Pulsar 'Live-Microphone' poetry evenings which are regularly held in the Swindon, Wiltshire area of the UK. Pulsar is now in its thirteenth year of production. The March 2008 publication is edition # 49. Pulsar is non-profit making and is run by poetry enthusiasts for poetry enthusiasts, an altruistic concern.
Poetry Submission Guidance:
We seek interesting and stimulating unpublished work, thoughts, comments and general observations, genial or sharp. Not keen on deeply religious poetry or poems about cute kittens, crafty foxes, or monotonous rhyming couplets where rhyme is all and meaning is forgotten. Prefer hard-hitting, thoughtfully written work. We welcome constructive ideas from all areas of the world. Usually reply aye or nay within 30 days. Poems are published on merit only. Poem copyright remains the property of poet originators. Payment: one free copy of the edition of Pulsar containing your work - there is no other payment. Points to note:
Send no more than three unpublished poems via e-mail. Send to Pulsar Editor, David Pike: pulsar.ed@btopenworld.com Send your poems in the body of an e-mail message; file attachments will not be read, (unless from a known and trusted source). Do not send simultaneous submissions, these will not be considered.
We do not currently consider/publish whole poetry books from individual poets, Pulsar is a magazine. Click on link: Frequently asked questions
Send up to six unpublished poems via conventional land mail together with a stamped addressed return envelope; if from overseas enclose appropriate return postage in IRCs, (International Reply Coupons). Send your poems and a brief covering letter to:
David Pike - Editor, Pulsar Poetry Magazine, 34 Lineacre, Grange Park, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 6DA, UK. Click on picture, to enlarge.
Jill Pike, Pulsar administrator, photograph below; click on image to enlarge.
Quick Links:
View Frequently Asked Poem Submission Questions by clicking: Frequently asked questions
New paperback book by Pulsar Editor, David Pike, In the Mix, poems 1990 - 2006, available from May 2007, for more information click: In the Mix
MP3 sound files (below), to give you an idea of the contents of In the Mix. All poems read by David Pike who also plays guitar for accompaniment
Full MP3 version of David Pike's poem New Year from new paperback book In the Mix click on the following link: New Year
Full MP3 version of David Pike's poem Spirits from new paperback book In the Mix click of the following link to listen to: Spirits
Full MP3 version of David Pike's poem Standard Drill from new paperback book In the Mix click of the following link to listen to: Standard Drill
Full MP3 version of David Pike's poem Shitehousen from new paperback book In the Mix, (not for the easily offended), click of the following link to listen to: Shitehousen
Click on thumbnail image above, to enlarge.
To view Sample Poems click: Sample Poems
To view Pulsar Art click: Pulsar Art Page
To view Pulsar Front Covers click: View Pulsar Front Cover
To view Book Information click: Book Information
To view Book-Booklet Reviews click: Book-Booklet Reviews
To gain information about General Poetry Events click: General Poetry Events
To view winning and recommended poems from Previous Pulsar Poetry Competitions click: Competition Winning Poems
Pulsar 'Live Microphone' Performance Poetry Evening information, click: Pulsar 'Live Microphone,' information (See at the foot of this current page)
To listen to MP3 sound files of poets reciting their poems at Pulsar Live-microphone Poetry Evenings go the Pulsar sound page via: Pulsar Live Sound
To view Pulsar 'Live Microphone' Reviews click: Pulsar Performance Poetry Reviews
To view photographs of poets performing 'live' at Pulsar events click: photo-gallery
To view Pulsar web links click: View Pulsar Web Links
To view Pulsar 'radio' photographs click: radio.
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Poets:
Published poets, in no particular order, include: Published poets, in no particular order, include: Harrison Alechenu Akoh, Ben Barton, Elizabeth Birchall, Nicola O'Rourke, Jonathan Culley, Michael Estabrook, Jim Murdoch, Andrew Frolish, Alex Galper, Wendy French, David Gill, Calvin Green, Alan Hardy, Stephanie Hiteshew, Raud Kennedy, Edward Lee, Arthur Leung, Martin RB Cook, Fergus Chadwick, Kathleen Kenny, Will Daunt, Gerard Melia, Michael Newman, John Plevin, Maggie Andrews, Linda Leedy Schneider, Kenneth Steven, Carol Thistlethwaite, Paul Tanner, Ivan Wallace, Gwilym Williams, F. J. Williams, Alessio Zanelli and Chris Hardy plus many others, (454 poets published, up to and including the March 2008 edition). Click on the following to view Sample Poems
Front Cover of Pulsar edition #49, (March 2008), shown above, illustration, 'New Cut,' by Sally Turner. Click on the thumbnail image above, to enlarge - then return via 'Back' on your tool bar.
Pulsar Art Page
Pulsar subscribers may display their artwork on the Pulsar Art page free of charge. Artwork will be displayed and removed from the art page at the sole discretion of the Pulsar editor. Note: please do not e-mail artwork to the editor as file attachments, file attachments will not be opened through fear of computer virus proliferation. Send pictures via conventional land-post, (with return paid postage/IRC), or paste them into the body of an e-mail message(s). To view the art page click on the following link: Pulsar Art Page
Pulsar Subscription Information:
As mentioned above, Pulsar is non-profit making. The current UK subscription price is £4 per edition; the price helps to cover the cost of printing distribution. Please subscribe, to keep the press turning. Cheques are payable to, 'Ligden Poetry Society,' and should be posted to the submission address shown above; remember to include your name, full address and e-mail address, (e-mail address not mandatory). Sample/individual copies of Pulsar may be purchased at £4 each, (price includes the cost of postage and packing). Please note that after March 2006 edition Pulsar became a twice yearly publication with an annual subscription price of £8 or €13. USA pay £10.50 equivalent, (approx. $18, includes postage and packing).
Click here to view: View Pulsar Front Cover
Weymouth library, Dorset, (photograph below), receives Pulsar for display and for general usage by local poetry / writing groups; click on the thumbnail image below to view Weymouth library.
Collage photograph below: pictures of poets attending various Pulsar 'live-microphone' free-entry events; gives you a flavour of what we are about. We intend to hold many events in 2007, keeping it 'live,' and interesting - see information at the foot of this page regarding our next event at the Goddard Arms, Clyffe Pypard, near Swindon, Wiltshire on Thursday 18th October 2007. Why not come along, you'd be most welcome; remember to bring your poems. All photographs copyright © of Jill and David Pike. Click on thumbnail image to enlarge.
Photographs below: Bibury village, the Cotswolds near Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Photographs taken on 15th April 2008 by David Pike. Click on thumbnail the images to enlarge.
Photographs below: Wilton Windmill, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. Photographs taken on the 9th April 2008 by David Pike. Click on thumbnail the images to enlarge.
Photograph below: Trevarno gardens, near Helston, Cornwall. Fabulous gardens, a world heritage site. Photograph taken on 8th July, 2007. Also, dawn over the Vale of the White Horse, nr Swindon, Wiltshire; photograph taken on 12th August, 2007. Photo, mill pool, Salisbury city centre, Wiltshire; photograph taken on 28th September, 2007. Finally, Bishopstone pond, Bishopstone village, near Swindon, Wiltshire; photograph taken on 4th November, 2007 All photographs by David Pike. Click on thumbnail the images to enlarge. Why not use an image for your computer screen wallpaper?
Photograph below: the former Wantage home of deceased Poet Laureate John Betjeman. Photograph taken by David Pike on 12th January 2006, Also photographs of John Betjeman's tombstone in the graveyard of St. Enodoc's church, Trebetherick, Cornwall. The photograph of St. Enodoc's church, (which has a crooked spire), also shows the river Camel estuary in the foreground and the infamous 'Doom Bar.' Cornwall photographs taken by David Pike on 13th July 2007. Click on thumbnail image to enlarge.
Photograph below: Wantage as viewed from Segsbury camp above Letcombe on the Ridgeway. Wantage was renamed Alfredston by Thomas Hardy in Jude the Obscure, (Wantage was the birthplace of King Alfred). In the far distance, (far right) you see a slight rise in the topography, Boars Hill. Boars Hill obscures Oxford from view, so the ambitious Jude could not have seen the dreaming spires from the Ridgeway location stated in the book - licence eh! Photograph taken by David Pike on 7th May 2007, click on thumbnail image to enlarge.
Book & CD Information:
New E.P. (Extended Play), CD by David Pike, Not Blues available from June 2004, © David Pike / Ligden Publishers. UK price £3.50, (non UK price £6.00, includes postage and packing). Track listing: 1. Other Reaches. 2. Not Blues. 3. New Year. 4. Half Light. All tracks/vocals/guitars -written / performed / played by David Pike.
Funds received will go towards the running costs of Pulsar Poetry Magazine. Cheques payable to 'Ligden Poetry Society,' send to the editorial address - see above. You may also enquire via pulsar.ed@btopenworld.com
Photograph: David Pike, playing 'live' at The Ghost Train, Purton, Wiltshire.
To listen to a 'compressed' MP3 extract from the CD below click on the link Not Blues
To listen to the full MP3 track, Other Reaches, from the CD below click the following link: Other Reaches
To listen to a full MP3 version of David Pike's poem New Year from new book In the Mix click on the following link: New Year
Click on the thumbnail image, to enlarge - then return via 'Back' on your tool bar.
Pulsar subscribers may advertise their books/booklets/CDs on this web site free-of-charge, see the Book Information page for books / CDs + terms and conditions. Click on the 'Book Information' link above, to view details. For general book/booklet reviews, click on the following link: Book-Booklet Reviews
Above photograph, Pulsar Poet / Reviewer - John Plevin, click on thumbnail image to enlarge.
Pulsar Distribution:
Who receives / subscribes to Pulsar?
Pulsar is distributed to: UK and overseas subscribers, to poets published within, to Wiltshire libraries, to most UK central libraries, to The Poetry Library, Royal Festival Hall, London, the Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh, to review bodies, to newspapers, to universities and to selected main-stream publishers. Note: Pulsar is listed / mentioned in: The Small Press Guide, ISBN 1-902713-11-7, The Writers Handbook, Macmillan/PEN and Dustbooks, Paradise, USA; plus others.
What Is Ligden Poetry Society (LPS)?
LPS is the performance poetry wing of Pulsar. We hold regular 'free-entry' poetry evenings in the Swindon, Wiltshire area. If you fancy airing your work to a partisan non-competitive audience why not e-mail the editor, pulsar.ed@btopenworld.com to gain information about dates/times of coming events in the Swindon area, and beyond. You don't have to read / perform, you may simply come along to soak up the atmosphere and listen to what local and not so local poets, have to say. We're a genial bunch, you'll be assured of a warm welcome. Also link to General Poetry Event information via: General Poetry Events Also see details about the new, Year 2006 / 2007 Pulsar Poetry Competition, click to view: Competition Rules & Information
Above photographs, BBC Radio Swindon / Wiltshire, Pulsar poetry on the Graham Rogers programme, Thursday 27th March 2008, at 9.30 a.m. David Pike talked about poetry in general and about his poetry book, 'In the Mix,' which is still available, (hint hint), £4.99. David Pike read a poem, 'In All Things,' from In the Mix and also talked about Pulsar Poetry Magazine and how things have evolved over the years. Many thanks to Graham Rogers, (pictured above with DP), and to Katy Kelly for the opportunity and for nifty camera work . Click on thumbnail images (above) to enlarge. For Pulsar radio links / photographs click radio.
Above photographs, BBC Radio Wiltshire poetry talk, Shelley Keen programme, Thursday 28th September 2006: Rose Solari (promoting her new book 'Orpheus in the Park,' and David Pike, talking about Pulsar Poetry Magazine / Poetry Evenings. Click on thumbnail images (above) to enlarge. For Pulsar radio links / photographs click radio.
Note: all photographs are the copyright © 2006, 2007, 2008 of David & Jill Pike.
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Photographs below, Wootton Bassett Library, photos taken on 16th April, 2008 by David Pike (DP) with kind permission of the library. DP performed at this venue, an event that was arranged by Sue Chadd of Wiltshire Library Service and was held during the early evening of 25th April, 2008. Other poets reading were John Plevin, Sue Chadd , John Richardson and Rose Flint, Click on images to enlarge.
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The next Pulsar 'Live Microphone' Performance Poetry (and music) Evening will take place at the The Goddard Arms, Clyffe Pypard, near Swindon, Wiltshire, SN4 7PY on Thursday 5th June, 2008, from 8.00 pm. This will be a free-of-charge event that is open to all. The evening will be reviewed for Pulsar Poetry Magazine and a written article about the same will appear in a coming edition of Pulsar and may be viewed in the News & Reviews section of this web at that time. Note: digital sound recordings will be made at the event, for possible inclusion on the Pulsar web, (with poets' permission only). To view photographs of poets performing 'live' at Pulsar events click: photo-gallery Also see a photo collage of the 12th March event, below, click on image to enlarge. For previous reviews of 'live' events click on the following link: Pulsar Performance Poetry Reviews
The Goddard Arms, (above), Clyffe Pypard, Nr. Swindon, Wiltshire, SN4 7PY, telephone 01793 731386. Clyffe Pypard is a timeless Wiltshire village; contains St. Peter's Church where Nikolaus Pevsner, (and his wife Lola), are buried, in the adjoining grounds; Pevsner is famous for his Architectural Guides, visit http://www.visitnorthwilts.co.uk/index-tourism/attractions-tourism/microsite_tourism-walking_and_cycling/clyffe_pypard_walks.htmthe
Click on thumbnail images (above) to enlarge.
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Photo collage (above) of poets performing at the Goddard Arms Pulsar event held on 12th March, click on image to enlarge.
DP has traditionally started each Pulsar Poetry Evening by playing a self-penned acoustic guitar instrumental, 'Locks Lane.' Click on the following link to hear a full MP3 version of Locks lane, (if you don't have broadband forget it). Click here to listen to Locks Lane
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Pulsar Poetry Competition, Year 2006/07
The year 2006/07 Pulsar Poetry Competition closed on 30th April 2007. To view competition entry details/rules/prizes for the competition, please click on the following link: Competition Rules & Information To view the results and winning poems from the completed 2006/07 Pulsar Poetry Competition, please click on Competition Winning Poems DP.
David Gill is the Year 2006/07 Pulsar Poetry Competition Winner. Winning Poem: Flamingos
Photograph above - David Gill, (he's the one on the right), click on image to enlarge.
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Nigel Humphreys is the Year 2006/07 Pulsar Poetry Competition Runner Up: Poem: Missing Cousins
Photograph above, please click on image to enlarge.
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Andy Humphrey came third in the Year 2006/07 Pulsar Poetry Competition, poem: The January Tennis Club
Photograph above - Andy Humphrey, click on image to enlarge.
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