Fourth Person Singular begins with the intriguing line: “The door to my interior was propped open and a fly buzzed in.” This sets the scene for a poetry collection which experiments with form in unexpected ways, using metaphor and analysis to explore the notion of self-hood and internal thought. I was not surprised to discover that Nuar Alsadir is a psychoanalyst. This innocuous little book is challenging, provocative and beguiling in equal measure, though I am still not quite sure entirely what to make of it.
I have a particular reason to be looking forward to this year’s Cardiff Book Festival, as I’m running a masterclass – 
Short stories can be difficult to contend with – their brevity creates a sense of unease. They can never fully reveal the whole story. Instead, they provide something unique and captivating – a glimpse into a parallel universe where anything can happen, and the best short stories are those which pull you into their world for a few marvellous pages, seducing you into a false sense of security, then abruptly leaving you to your own wistful thoughts, as you mull over what you’ve just read, often wishing for more. 
A Guest Post written by poet and photographer 
Manchester Metropolitan University’s annual Creative Writing Summer School is designed to push you into trying out new things. As a poet, I naturally signed up to attend most of the poetry sessions, but it was the ‘place writing’ workshops which I enjoyed the most. A visit to Chetham’s Library, on the second day of the summer school, was definitely the highlight for me – an opportunity to forget the pressure of honing my craft as a writer, to wander about and take photos, scribble down notes and enjoy the atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.