Politics and poetry

One of the main purposes of this blog is to put some of the stuff online, in one place, that I have written over the years. Different friends and acquaintances have asked for different things and it seems like it would be useful to be able to direct them to the same place. So first off is some of the poetry I've written, such as Conversations in Nablus, probably the single poem I'm proudest of to date, which can be found at: http://www.poetsagainstthewar.org/displaypoem.asp?AuthorID=16774
I don't believe that literature, poetry, art can make politics, but I do believe that it can inspire, enthuse and express what people feel in a different way from factual writing. The SubVerse theatre group in London, who have a monthly night in Clapham, are a great example of this. They've performed some of my poetry, as well as the work of many other playwrights, poets, storytellers and musicians - see www.subverse.org.uk. Some of the writers who've inspired me, and whose fiction has helped me politically and personally, include Marge Piercy (www.margepiercy.com) and Ahdaf Soueif (http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth227). Both of them have, in very different ways, engaged with the issue of Palestine,one very close to my heart and to which I will be returning.