Poetry

Alison Hill’s first poetry collection, Peppercorn Rent, was published by Flarestack in 2008 and launched at Rhythm & Muse. She has given readings at the Troubadour in Earls Court, Camden Irish Centre and Tongues & Grooves in Southsea.
Her work has appeared in a range of magazines and anthologies and her poem ‘Blush’ was highly commended in the Yeovil Literary Prize 2006. She has had poems translated into Romanian and German (see poetrypf.co.uk).

Blush
 
She liked to collect pink lightbulbs
neatly, in her third drawer down.
 
She knew they would be found;
her secret stash, her weakness
for a soft glow to warm the edges
of the darkening room
as she tapped out time with
hot-pink nails on powdered hands.
 
She liked to watch the light
shifting through the delphiniums,
creeping up the sliding hallway
to prod spring bulbs into life.
 
She liked to watch the dawn,
to catch the first glimmers
of the varnish-streaked sky -
the pink lighbulbs neat
in her third drawer down.
 
Ripple, Vol 1, No 4 and Peppercorn Rent, 2008

Speranza

Alison also performs as half of Speranza – a poetry duo with Judith Watts.
Lillies, costume, music – a drama in two distinct voices – Speranza has performed at the cornerHOUSE in Surbiton, the Roundhouse in Camden, the Mary Wallace Theatre, Twickenham and was part of Kingston University’s international conference, Performing Lives, in 2009.

2010 - Speranza performed at the Poetry & Voice conference in June at Chichester University.
Keynote readers included UK poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Philip Gross and Helen Dunmore.

Plays

Alison’s first play, Stalking Oscar, was staged at the cornerHOUSE in Surbiton as part of One Acts 2008.                  
Set in Père Lachaise cemetery, the three-hander explored ‘sexual intrigue among Wildean devotees in Paris’,
with an interesting twist on the nature of stalking...

Alison also directed Natural Selection Panel by Simon Tyler at the cornerHOUSE during the 2008 One Acts week.

A new play, Edge of Blue, had a rehearsed reading at Jacksons Lane, Highgate as part of Artists Anonymous Page to Stage in April, with Anna Brook (Maria), Matt Prendergast (Will) and Smith Lowe (James).

Other scripts are in development and currently looking for a stage!

Photos: Jon Constant

Freelance Work

A freelance writer, editor and proofreader with over twenty years’ publishing experience, Alison’s clients include the DCMS, Arts Council, Arts & Business and V&A Museum. New projects are always welcome.

Alison also works as freelance Events Manager for Kingston Arts Council – see www.kac.org.uk for more information.