Jonathan Davidson is a poet, writer and literature activist. He lives in the English Midlands but works internationally. His poetry has been widely published and he has also written memoir and criticism. His radio dramas and adaptations have been broadcast by BBC Radios 3 and 4. Much of his work is focussed on how writing – especially poetry – is experienced by readers and listeners.
Jonathan’s latest poetry collection is Downland (Two Rivers Press, May 2024). Downland is a unique collaboration celebrating the landscape of the Berkshire Downs as seen through the eyes of artist Anna Dillon and poet Jonathan Davidson. Featuring twenty paintings, this is the first extensive publication in book form of Anna Dillon’s vibrant and colourful work. The artworks are complemented by a series of poems from Jonathan Davidson inspired both by the paintings and by the landscape. Taken together they form a kind of guidebook in paintings and poetry to the most popular stretch of the Ridgeway National Trail. The book includes a map pinpointing the locations that inspired the paintings and the poems.
Events (readings, workshops, etc.)
Getting Some New Poems Started – a Five Week Short Course on Zoom, run by Welshpool Poetry Festival and led by Jonathan Davidson
Sundays 4th , 11th, 18th , 25th May and 1st June 2025, 19:00 to 21:00 BST
Online, £125 (bursaries available).
This course is for poets wanting to start new work but also to get some general advice and guidance one enjoying the poetry scene. Using some fine examples of good poetry to guide us, we will use quick exercises, group discussion and some sharing of work to get our poems started – and quite possibly finished.
Aimed at anyone currently writing poetry (or wishing they were), it will be run through a series of two hour Zoom meetings. The course will be friendly and relaxed, with plenty of opportunity to both learn and contribute. There will almost certainly be an unfathomably generous ‘end of course raffle’ to spur us on to the end.
Course facilitator, Jonathan Davidson, is a poet, writer and literature activist. His poetry has been widely published and he has also written memoir and criticism. His radio dramas and adaptations have been broadcast by BBC Radios 3 and 4. Much of his work is focussed on how writing – especially poetry – is experienced by readers and listeners. His most recent collection is A Commonplace (Smith|Doorstop, 2020) and Downland (Two Rivers Press, May 2024). His previous book, On Poetry (Smith|Doorstop, 2018), a combination of memoir and manual, was included in The Guardian’s Top 10 Books About Creative Writing in 2020.
To reserve a place and for payment details or to request a bursary place please e-mail Pat Edwards at chelseavillas@btinternet.com.
Places available: 11
Requirements: the course will be run on Zoom so participants will need internet access. Advice on using Zoom will be provided
Booking deadline: Saturday 26th April 2025
Click here to join Jonathan’s e-mail list
Event Recordings
Book Launch, Sunday 2nd August, 2020
A recording of the Sunday 2nd August 2020 on-line launch of A Commonplace with Jonathan Davidson, Jo Bell, Sue Brown, Gregory Leadbetter and Peter Sansom. More…
Ó Bhéal Poetry Reading Series Cork, Ireland
Nine Arches Press Lunchtime In Conversation
The Swindon Spring Festival of the Arts and Literature 2020
Jonathan Davidson 