London Writers' Salon #174: 3 Poets Read Their Work and Talk Craft Choices — Mary Jean Chan, David Whyte and Anthony Anaxagorou (Compilation)
Dec 28, 2025
Award-winning poet Mary Jean Chan shares her journey from business school to poetry, revealing how 'bad' poems can provide solace. David Whyte discusses overcoming writer's block by writing about it and emphasizes the power of repetition in live readings. Anthony Anaxagorou reads a poignant piece inspired by the Brexit referendum, detailing his approach of mining notebooks for compelling lines. Each poet highlights the craft choices that shape their work, offering valuable insights into the emotional truth behind their words.
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Poetry Began As Solace
- Mary Jean Chan began writing in business school as a way to distract and soothe herself from depression and uncertainty.
- Discovering Adrienne Rich made Chan realise poetry could be personal and political, which ignited her poetic journey.
Form Mirrors Physicality And Desire
- Mary Jean Chan used the poem's visual layout and fourteen-line form to mirror the fencing piste and a modern sonnet's constraints.
- The poem's simplicity of voice deliberately carries emotional clarity about closeted desire.
Write About Your Inability To Write
- David Whyte advises writers to 'write about the way you can't write' as a way to exhaust and then release blocking patterns.
- He says naming those limits creates fatigue that lets you undo and move into fresh material.