Publishers of Poetry Collections, Pamphlets and Anthologies
Our brand new imprint.
The Yaffle's Nest Competition
'What We Inherit from Water'
is now closed
RESULTS OF THE YAFFLE'S NEST COMPETITION:
'WHAT WE INHERIT FROM WATER'
That's a wrap for the first Yaffle's Nest competition. We had nearly 400 entries from all over the world.
A huge thank you to our friend, Helen Ivory
for helping to judge the top ten poems that were jostling for position - our voting was unanimous for the top places.
There are 100 winning poems in this competition and they'll all be featured in our anthology 'What We Inherit From Water' which will be published in the next few months.
Emails have now been sent out to all winners and longlisted poets. If you didn't get placed this year please take this as a massive thank you to everyone who sent a poem - the standard was really high. Watch out for more competitions and opportunities from Yaffle and Yaffle's Nest.
CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!
Winner:
Gain Access - Ian Harker
Runner up:
Rain – Holly Bars
Third:
William Walker saves Winchester Cathedral –
Jennifer A. McGowan
Highly Commended:
A question for the freedom swimmers
of the 60s - Florence Ng
Meltwater - Su Ryder
Leaving Shingle Street - Sue Butler
After swimming in the Lido ... - Jason Conway
Commended:
Brookside - Sharon Larkin
An extract from the journal of Miss Jean Fairfax - Sheila Jacob
Ammonite - Abigail Ottley
Water Molecules - William Thirsk Gaskill
The day she stops being beautiful - Bobbie Sparrow
Yorkshire Watter - Sally Brown
These poems will be included in the anthology:
A glass of orange juice – Rachel Davies
A short day in Carlisle – Fokkina McDonnell
A squadron of tuna is lifting the sea out of itself – Sandra Noel
A view from the future – Jenny Robb
Afraid – Jill Lang
An arctic char’s lament – Bobbie Sparrow
An Olympic length of life – Jane Sharp
And I am – Liz McPherson
Astral swimming – Bruce Barnes
Ball bouncers must pay – Sue Butler
Blame it all on the weather – Matt Nicholson
By-sea – Ali Murphy
Circling the Aquarium – BAnne Adriaens
Climacteric – Michelle Chew
Confluence – Sharon Phillips
Crossing place – Liz McPherson
Damned – Louise Jones
Deflecting what never was straight line – Sandra Noel
Dunwich: February 2020 – Sue Butler
Elegy for a dead seal – Sue Burge
Estuary – Mary Anne Smith Sellen
Eve – Sarah Graham
Excalibur – Ruth Higgins
Fear of drowning replays in a childhood nightmare – Margaret Royall
Flash Floods – Kathy Gee
Flood warning – Judi Sutherland
Globes – Boakesey Closs
Headwaters of the Hull – Tim Ellis
Heart of the Patamoi – Lauren Fleming
Heronry - Mary Anne Smith Sellen
Hook, line and sinker - Maggie Mackay
I find out on Social Media - Lauren Fleming
I took a walk once - Maggie Mackay
I’m not hoping for rescue at my age – Julie Elizabeth Griffiths
In my water - Pat Edwards
Keeping out the cold – Linda Marshall
Learning - William Coniston
Lithium – Deborah Lyons
Melusine - Jennifer A. McGowan
Midsummer: dipping our toes in - Hannah Stone
Morecambe Bay normal – Sarah L Dixon
My friend’s cousin - Sue Mackerel
Naiad - Jennifer A. McGowan
Narrowboat - Damaris West
Night on the river - Josie Moon
North Yorkshire steam train - Tonnie Richmond
On Durham Heritage Coast - Sarah James
Painting the Saltmarsh - Sue Burge
Pause for breath - Colin Day
Pissing myself – Patrick Druggan
Pond life - Kathy Gee
Pooled – Julia Webb
Portrait of water - Kerry Darbishire
Rain bright days - Patrick Druggan
River mother – Margaret Royall
River of Salt – Racheal Clyne
River tales – Florence Ng
River watch - Patricia Leighton
Riverish - Doryn Herbst
Rivers of Heaven – Gary Akroyd
Same shoes – Gary Akroyd
Sea change – Cate Anderson
Send Rain – Lesley Quayle
She is half in love with ink … - Abigail Ottley
She went into the water – Pat Edwards
So you can love her – Rachel Glass
Spate – Liz McPherson
St Roma De Sau – Judi Sutherland
Standing on the ridge - Patrick Druggan
Swimming with dolphins – Ian Harker
The coastline behind your house – Sandra Noel
The field runs through your body – Sandra Noel
The journey to Gaza – Jenny Robb
The Quiet one – Maggie Mackay
The Rigger – Abigail Ottley
The river remembers – Penny Blackburn
The Severn – Louise Warren
The Tees – Caroline Walling
There you are again – Christian Donovan
This England – Judi Sutherland
Turner’s sketch of Kirkstall Abbey – Claire Wigzell
Underwater – Georgina Titmus
Unseen – Sarah Mnatzaganian
Water pressure – Elspeth McLean
Wavelets – Alwyn Marriage
Why swimming underwater is difficult – Alison Jones
Wish you were here – Sally James
You won’t remember the weatherman – Sharon Phillips
Yaffle's Nest News
Yaffle’s Nest are delighted to announce that the published novelist and writing tutor, Rebecca Ryan, will be joining our team to run novel courses, editing services and sessions on writing your synopsis, both via Zoom and in person. She’ll also be running occasional ‘Write that Novel’ day courses with Mark to help get your novels up and running and other exciting projects down the road. Rebecca was one of the regulars on Mark’s Zoom courses that he ran throughout Lockdowns, which also helped other novelists into publication or to retain the services of literary agents. Rebecca’s experience of being a successful popular fiction novelist will add valuable insight and compliment Mark’s literary background so Yaffle’s Nest can help more novelists towards publication.
Mark Connors is an award winning writer, creative writing facilitator and publisher from Leeds. Mark has had over 300 poems published in magazines and anthologies. His debut poetry pamphlet, Life is a Long Song was published by OWF Press in 2015. His first full length collection, Nothing is Meant to be Broken was published by Stairwell Books in 2017. His second poetry collection, Optics, was published in 2019 by YAFFLE. His third collection After followed in 2021. He’s currently working on his third novel, a hybrid book of poetry and prose and a joint poetry collection with his wife Gill Connors. He is a co-managing editor at YAFFLE and Yaffle’s Nest.
Mark’s poetry and novel courses have helped many writers into publication and to attain agents. He is an award winning editor and has edited over thirty poetry books and several novels. He has worked for literary journals, Comma Press, Leeds and Bradford Libraries, The Bronte Society, Trinity University and is the resident creative writing tutor at The Bowery in Headingley, Leeds.
For more information visit www.markconnors.uk and www.yafflepress.co.uk.
Rebecca Ryan is the West Yorkshire author of My (extra) Ordinary Life and The Philosophy of Love both published with Simon and Schuster. She lives in Bradford with her three young children and mainly spends her time snacking, doing washing and having the odd existential crisis, just to keep things interesting. Although she always loved writing, it hadn't really occurred to her that she could do it professionally. She recently left her job as a teacher to pursue writing full-time. She enjoys walking in the countryside and takeaways (if that counts as a hobby).
Rebecca's website is West Yorkshire Author | Rebecca Ryan Author
Yaffle's Nest Publications
We are proud and pleased to introduce our first Yaffle's Nest publications.
The Worm in the
Pheasant's Neck
Colin Day
​
Rear-view Mirror
Tonnie Richmond
Keep Taking Six
Away from 100
Tim Brookes
Rosa Brigante
Su Ryder
​
Liven Yourself Up
Sharon Philips
Playing with Fire
Bill Fitzsimons
Mississippi Birdfeeder at Night
K.T. Slattery
Pounds Sterling
Euros