Walk concluded

This phase of writing started when I wrote a poem shortly after they told me I would be having a bypass. I posted it on my walking blog, and people said they liked it. This led me to plan more writing as my ‘recovery project’. That original poem, I am a Downsman Lost is in the book having been corrected, polished and generally futzed with – though I have left the original raw version on the blog. It was mainly about trying to visualise an end to my walking journey – and end that I have now made in real life. That final walk home is described here.

Let me explain…

Last week Stuart Rayner took some publicity stills of me, in the Edge Hill University Clinical Skills Simulation Centre, reading to robot patients such as SimMan 3G and MegaCode Kelly. This was an unnerving experience, for me at least, that has given me something to write in what I plan to be my last cardiac-related poem for a while.

Then we sneaked into a lecture theatre setup for Jonathan Pryce’s talk later that evening, and took a picture of me ‘reading’:

Note the hand… “I am Klaw”!

Bypassing the UK

Bypass Pilgrim is now on UK Amazon, as well as their US site and Lulu. So take your pick!

Now on Amazon.com

I’m pleased to report that Bypass Pilgrim can now be bought on Amazon.com.

Hopefully it will be on the Amazon UK site soon – Lulu are a lot vaguer about how long this might take.

Update

Still waiting for the book to find its way on to Amazon. They say this takes 6-8 weeks so hopefully this will happen soon. Meanwhile it is available from Lulu or directly from myself – if you would like a copy email me at royabayfield [at] gmail.com

I have had some very gratifying reactions, a few of which I’ve added to this site.

Meanwhile I’m writing more stuff – trying some less autobiographical pieces and new forms. I had wondered if I would have anything more to write about, without a ‘big’ subject to use as a frame, and without the time that my illness (or rather avoidance of illness) gave me. It seems that I have got a few more lines in me yet…

Bypass Pilgrim discount offer

If you’re buying the book from Lulu, here’s a special offer this grey morning

Purchase Bypass Pilgrim with 15% off with coupon code NEWREAD305

Disclaimer: Use coupon code NEWREAD305 at checkout and receive 15% off Bypass Pilgrim. Maximum savings with this promotion is $10. You can only use the code once per account, and you can’t use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer ends on September 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM so try not to procrastinate! While very unlikely we do reserve the right to change or revoke this offer at anytime, and of course we cannot offer this coupon where it is against the law to do so. Finally, Lulu incurs the cost of this discount, so it does not impact the Author’s proceeds of the book.

‘Grey morning’ is a figure of speech and may not apply in all areas.

Bypass Pilgrim now available on Lulu

I’ve just pressed the button to approve the book for distribution, so it is now live on Lulu. This means that anyone can buy it. I’ve led the way by purchasing a few myself…

In other news, next week (August 4th) I’ll be at Dead Good Poets’ Society at the Everyman in Liverpool, hoping to read a couple of pieces there. The night starts at 8pm.

Bypass Pilgrim – coming soon

Bypass Pilgrim is a book of poems by Roy Bayfield, to be published in Summer 2010.

“Maybe my map was wrong”

Unexpectedly diagnosed with heart disease at age 48, Roy Bayfield embarked on a ‘patient journey’ involving major surgery and a lengthy recovery. Written during the various stages of this unsettling adventure, his poetry reveals the joys and terrors of a forced encounter with the ‘frontier of bodies and time’. With eclectic imagery drawn from the English landscape, pulp subcultures and the minutiae of daily life, these poems combine hardbitten spirituality with wry wit. Bypass Pilgrim is a celebration of language and its ability to illuminate and transform.

The book will be available from Lulu and Amazon once published.