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Fokkina McDonnell – poet and qualified coach

Welcome to Acacia Publications. Here you find my poems, the work of fellow poets and writing prompts. On my blog I also post about life and art in the Netherlands.

My poems have been widely published and anthologised. They’ve been successful in over 20 competitions and nominated for the Forward Prize. I have three poetry collections, the latest with Broken Sleep Books, and a pamphlet. Details on the Books page.

The original manuscript of my third collection was praised by Vahni (Anthony Ezekiel) Capildeo, judge of the 2020 poetry entries, for its ‘beautiful minimalism and intriguing poise‘ and received a Northern Writers’ Award. Published in October 2022, copies are available from Broken Sleep Books.

The poet Matthew Paul has posted a perceptive and detailed analysis of my poem Safe House, from my new collection Remembering / Disease. The poem was inspired by a poem by the late poet Andrew Waterhouse. I’m very grateful to Matthew: his post gets to the heart and soul, not just of the poem, but of my writing. Here is the link.

Blog

On my blog I share new poems and writing prompts and I showcase monthly guest poets. Since my move to the Netherlands, I also write about life and art there. The last guest poet was Julie Mellor. You can read more here.

Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and Substack (@fokkinadutch).

News

Recent publications:

He kneels at her feet is on Atrium . The poem is dedicated to M – a friend’s carer. I’m grateful to Holly Magill and Claire Walker, the editors.

Many thanks to editor Mark Antony Owen for publishing my poem Canada is as far away as bibles are on his site After. His online journal is dedicated to ekphrastic poems. It was inspired by a huge lightbox made by the Canadian artist Rodney Graham.

The photo shows The Avid Reader, 1949 displayed at Voorlinden Museum, Wassenaar, the Netherlands.

I feel privileged to be part of the project Time as Falling Atoms. It is curated by Louise Mather, the Editor-in-Chief of Acropolis, The project is a poetic exploration of time in relation to experiences of disability, chronic illness, mental health, and neurodiversity. It’s an inspiring collage of poems, art and photos. Here is the link. Once on the site, click on the image for the pdf.