259 thoughts on “About Brian”

  1. Dear Brian,
    As everyone else says, thank you for your amazingly insightful poetry. My son’s primary school is putting a display into the local flower show, themed on sustainability and bio-diversity. May we please display your poem, The Last Bee? With suitable acknowledgement, of course!
    Many thanks,
    Steve
    Froxfield, Hampshire

  2. I produce an online magazine every month for our local u3a. One of my readers has submitted a short piece on the ‘I before e’ rule, which I would like to publish followed by your brilliant poem on the same subject. Could I have your permission to do so, with a suitable acknowledgment of course and a bit about your poetry, which by the way I really enjoy?

      1. Thank you, that’s very kind. Please come to Cornwall on your next tour, we would love to come to hear you read your poetry.

  3. Hi Brian. Just wanted to say I hope you’re doing well. Good luck on your upcoming tour. Tell your publicist to look into some readings in the States in 2024 perhaps. Wish you the best. Cheers – Amanda

    1. Hello you! Hope you and the family are well. I’d really love to do that – although whether my publisher could afford that is another matter. I’m sure it will happen one day. All the best to you! x

  4. I’ve come across a real fine poet
    I’ve read his work but didn’t know it
    It’s good to see this day and age
    A writer worth the printed page
    I had thought them all extinct
    But now I found one quite distinct

  5. Maybe at 91 perhaps I am your oldest fan.I actually checked the emoji “stop all the clocks”against Auden’s original poem,brilliant.
    Your books are such good presents for younger friends and relatives,just bought 3 more.

    1. Thank you so much, Christine. One thing about my Auden emoji poem: I actually had to pay Auden’s estate to ‘translate’ that poem into emojis. I felt rather grumpy about it at the time but your response to it has made me feel a lot better. Thank you so much!

  6. Discovering Brian Bilston is the most exciting discovery I’ve made in years! He’s a genius of the written, rhymed, and un-rhymed word! My life is much better with Bilston!

  7. Hi Brian.
    I’ve followed you and your insightful poems for a long time now. I teach English A-levels at a sixth form college in Denmark, and at the same time I do voluntary work as a co-editor of Anglo Files, the quarterly of the Danish Association for Teachers of English. In November we’ll be doing a number on poetry, and this is where I’m hoping for your contribution. Unfortunately, we’re non-profit so I can only offer you a few complimentary copies of the printed magazine but hopefully, that won’t dissuade you. You can get an idea of our journal here https://www.engelskforeningen.dk/fagbladet-anglo-files/om-fagbladet-anglo-files
    Our circulation is 1,500.
    I do hope you’ll give it a thought and write back to me.
    Kind regards from Eva Høeg

    1. Hello Eva, thanks very much for getting in touch and your kind offer to contribute. I’m afraid I won’t be able to write anything new for Anglo Files but if there are any existing poems of mine which you feel might be appropriate to reproduce then please feel free to do so. With best wishes, Brian

  9. Dear Brian,
    I recently stumbled on to your book of poetry—I’m not on Twitter (or X or whatever its current name is) , but when I read something recommending your books to those of us who love Jasper Fforde, it was a no-brainer to order “You Took the Last Bus Home” for myself. But before I could even open the book, it was seized by my kids (9 and 15)…and so now you have not one but three new fans. Thank you for adding intelligent silliness to our lives!
    A quick point my daughter (age 15) wanted to share/ask about. She caught what we *think* is an unintentional typo in one of your poems. She wondered if it was only in our copy: on page 51, in the poem “A Brok n Po m”, in the seventh line, in addition to the missing “e” , the “s” is missing as well. Was this an accident? I was very impressed that she caught it as I myself had delightedly read the poem and didn’t catch a thing! Anyway. my daughter would be thrilled to hear back. Thanks so much and please come visit Boston so we can attend a reading! 😊-Shira

    1. Dear Shira, thank you for your delightful message. That’s very kind of you all. And your daughter is quite right! I keep meaning to ask for that mistake to get corrected so that in future reprints all is well, but I keep forgetting. Fortunately, only the most eagle-eyes spot it! Best wishes, Brian

  10. Hello Brian
    Sorry to write to you here, but I’ve been in contact with your agent Jo Unwin (Nisha Bailey) about reprinting one of your poems in a Danish textbook for secondary students learning English. However, for some reason they don’t reply to my emails anymore after we’d agreed on a quote for the usage. The book is about to go to the printer’s soon. Would you be able to push a button or two at your agent’s? Thank you so much!
    Best wishes,
    Katrine Cohen

    1. Thanks for getting in touch, Katrine. I’ll sorry to hear you’ve had trouble getting a response. Nisha left a while ago so let me pass this on to her replacement and I’m sure this will be resolved speedily.

  11. Hi Brian. Your poem “Refugees” is up on the Python installation website.
    It is powerful and touching, Thank you!!

    I’m Israeli, and we have a serious problem. The Palestinians (who call the Israelis “The Jews”) are the ones who wish to have a territory that is empty of Israelis (who call the Palestinians “Arabs”). The Israelis wish to have a territory in which they are the majority, thus ruling that area in a democracy.

    As stated in the 1988 Declaration of Palestinian Independence, and since 1967, when we finally re-captured all the British mandate of “Palestine” except for the area designated as “Trans-Jordan”, there has been a sad consensus between most (non-religious) Jews and most (Muslim to some extent) Arabs that the 1948 lines will be accepted as a temporary border, so that they can have independence. One small fact was not taken into consideration, and that is the explicitly stated will of the Arabs for the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of all its Jewish residents, designated as Settlers or Zionists.

    In this situation, the walls cannot be taken down, and at the same time cannot be left up.
    To paraphrase your poem:
    With bombs up their sleeves
    Cut-throats and thieves
    They are …
    We are…

    Help!!! What can be done?

  12. Hi Brian,
    Have you ever read aloud poetry whilst eating yoghurt?

    I’m coming to see you in Liverpool on Wednesday 29 November and I wondered if you might have time for a quick podcast chat before or after the gig?

    My podcast is called Poetry Corner, which involves guests trying to read a poem whilst eating a Müller corner yoghurt. I have 4 episodes released including Ian McMillan, Ben Norris, Ennio the Little Brother and Emily Wilkinson and you are top of my list for fun yoghurt-mouthed poetry chat!

    I chat to guests about why they started writing – I began as a kind of therapy; teenage angst / heartbreak… the classics.
    I also want it to be fun and silly, so whilst some of those catalysts might be deeply personal / passionate – the yoghurty-poem challenge balances that out.

    Please let me know if this sounds fun and I can get in touch with the Philharmonic to see if there’s a room we can take over for 20 mins.

    Big thanks,
    Crayg

    1. Hi Crayg, that does sound fun and thanks for the very generous invitation to come on your podcast. I’m afraid, though, that I’ll have to decline on this occasion; I took the decision a while back not to do any podcasts, as I was getting quite a few invitations while trying to juggle various other deadlines and commitments. I’m wary of reopening that door for a while. I do hope you understand and it won’t lead you to pelt me with yoghurt when I’m on stage in Liverpool. Would be great to say hello. All the best, Brian

  13. Oh Brian, do not fear the yoghurt pelting for there will be no such thing!

    I’m sure you’re inundated with podcast requests, so I completely understand and respect your decision not to. I appreciate the reply on here 😊

    Really looking forward to the gig in Liverpool. I’ll probably be wearing a Poetry Corner t-shirt (I’m sure we’ve got a similar audience and I’m an opportunist) – so if there’s a chance for it, it’d be lovely to say hello.
    Big thanks,
    Crayg

  14. Hi Brian
    Today I read your poem ‘Neither Rhyme nor Reason’ with a Shared Reading Group in a Care Home. Shared Reading is run by The Reader based in Liverpool. There were 10 residents taking part, some with dementia, some not. We had great fun reading and discussing. Such a great afternoon and such a clever poem.
    By the way I have booked tickets for Cadogan Hall, London in March 2024.

  15. Hi Brian.

    Thoroughly enjoyed your readings in Edinburgh yesterday. It inspired me to attempt my own Christmas poem. Merry Christmas!

    Christmas Dinner

    The turkey was stuffed
    The goose was cooked
    The chestnuts were roasted
    The rum was punched
    And the drinks were on the rocks.
    But the wine took its time,
    Mulled it over,
    And the dessert made it very clear
    It was not to be trifled with.
    So at least some of the Christmas meal was salvaged.

  16. Hi Mr. Bilston,

     Thank you for sharing your lovely poems and making us a small part of your poetry world. My son is 9 and has an upcoming poetry day at his school. He loves anything and everything about animals and would like to read out a poem on them. Would it be alright please if he reads out one of your poems – either “Job Interview with a Cat” or “Animals” published for world animal day.

    With kind regards

    Sundeep

  17. Hi Brian, can we tempt you to come to Shoreham Wordfest this October, preferably National Poetry Day on 5 October? Maybe another double bill with Henry Normal who came to our festival in 2022 but a solo Brian would be delightful. We are based in Shoreham-by-Sea with a sizable audience drawn from across Sussex. Best wishes, Rosalind Turner, Programme Director Shoreham Wordfest

    1. Hi Rosalind, thank you very much for your kind invitation. That’s so nice of you to think of me. I’m afraid, though, that I’m not adding any more dates to my 2024 schedule, as I need a break from events to concentrate on some other things for while. I do hope you understand. With best wishes – Brian

      1. Thanks for replying Brian. Sorry you can’t come to Shoreham Wordfest but quite understand you have other things to do and poems to write! Best wishes, Rosalind

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