History and Politics student has poem published in a creative writing journal

Chris Wilkinson will see his poem ‘The Lollipop Man’ published in a journal named The Purple Breakfast Review this month.

Chris Wilkinson, final year History and Politics student

Chris Wilkinson, final year student on our BA (Hons) History and Politics course, is this month celebrating his first piece of poetry being published. His piece, entitled ‘The Lollipop Man’, will be published this month by organisation The Student Wordsmith in their fifth issue of creative writing journal The Purple Breakfast Review.

This is the first publication from The Student Wordsmith this year and is themed on ‘Sound and Silence’. It features twenty poems and short stories from new and established writers from across the UK, USA and Australia. This particular issue features a poem by established playwright, poet and spoken word artist Toby Campion.

Chris’s poem is based on the passing of his grandad, who worked as a lollipop man at a crossing outside his secondary school. The poem encapsulates the memories he holds of his grandad and explores how his death affected him. He felt the theme of the journal was a perfect fit for the work, as the poem focuses on the sounds of the cars and students juxtaposed with the silence felt after his passing. He generally bases his creative writing on personal events, feeling that writing something specific to his experiences is more gratifying and engaging.

Chris started writing at the end of 2013 to help him process some difficult personal circumstances. He enjoys writing in his spare time, but his long-term career ambition is to establish a publishing company. He is also interested in working in academia. He is currently involved in the NTU Debating Society and occasionally writes a political blog.

The Student Wordsmith is an online creative literary platform aiming to support up and coming writers through webinars, workshops and development days. They also publish various anthologies alongside their journal The Purple Breakfast Review, in which Chris currently features. The organisation is a great starting point for writers who are launching their careers or looking for experience in publishing.

You can order The Purple Breakfast Review here: https://www.thestudentwordsmith.com/shop/issue-5-sound-and-silence/