Portsmouth poet pens first anthology with work inspired by Portsmouth and Southampton football teams

Writer Melanie Hope has recently published her first book - a collection of poems called Hotchpotch.

Melanie, who lives in Old Portsmouth said: ‘I have always been a writer. When I was nine I won a Cadbury’s writing competition at school. The prize was lots and lots of chocolate. What a perfect prize for a nine year old.

‘As an adult I have won two local short story competitions and my book Hotchpotch has so far had all five star reviews.

‘Like most writers I tend to write about things I know about, but sometimes I let my imagination run wild and write stuff that floats into my head.’

Melanie completed an MA in creative writing at the University of Portsmouth in 2019.

She said: ‘Writing is simply the best job. It allows me to work from home and I have already started book two.

‘I like writing poetry as it gives me the opportunity to touch on so many topics and play with different styles of writing.

‘I have lived in Portsmouth most of my life and I live opposite the sea. Such a pleasure. Such a joy. How lucky am I!’

Melanie’s work is available through Amazon, Waterstones, and Olympia Publishers.

Her poem ‘Footisocky’, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky, references Pompey and Southampton football clubs. It can be read below.

Footisocky

‘Twas match-crush, and the blidey crudes

Did chunt and rootle in the ens:

All ruddies were the scummer ludes,

And bloosies at the elser end.

Dis ruf did blew hez wizzle hollow

An arms did go al pointy

His kneeze al knobbly-wallow

Callow, callay dey was al disjointy.

The bloosies scrollowed at the ruf

De crude wiz full besurd!

They scrollowed we huz hud enuf

Dis ruf he is a turd!

De ruddies must ratch a scorey-match,

They weeved and dived in haste

Another goll to total-snatch,

No bloodle tim to waste!

The bloosies did one last dash,

Der forwood out at front.

The goll went in; they saw the cash

But fell and did a shunt.

The wizzle blu, come on my sin,

The bloosies goll klecked in!

Der hands wiz hi; their shirties swapped,

Dey was match champee-in!

‘Twas match-crush, and the blidey crudes

Did chunt and rootle in the ens:

All ruddies were the scummer ludes,

And bloosies at the elser end.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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