Meet Paul Brookes, a poet whose work captures the essence of local history, folklore, and the natural world through vivid imagery and innovative storytelling. His journey into poetry took a significant turn with the creation of The Fabulous Invention Of Barnsley, the title poem of his first collection. This series of four monologues, written in Barnsley dialect and referencing local landmarks such as Worsbrough Reservoir, The River Dearne, and Tinker’s Pond, marked his initial steps towards a sense of belonging in an area where he was not born but has come to call home.
Brookes’ daily practice involves writing a sonnet a day, a routine he refers to as his “five finger exercise.” This practice draws inspiration from various sources, such as Nature’s Calendar, which divides the English year into 72 seasons, and awareness of themes like mental health. He writes swiftly, seeking connections between disparate ideas, then refines his work into ten-syllable lines and traditional sonnet structure, allowing each piece to rest before further editing.
Brookes’ creative process is fueled by extensive reading across genres, including local history, folklore, and the sensory experiences of animals and insects. His observations of customers at his supermarket till, as well as the wildlife in his local cemetery, provide rich material for his poetry. He delights in turning accepted ideas on their head, imagining worlds where the sky is the ground, growing older is frowned upon, or graveyards are places of birth.
For Brookes, poetry is a constant state of mind. His poetic headspace is always active, with mobile notebooks helping to capture spontaneous thoughts. This persistent creativity is evident in his works, including his 2024 pit guard sonnets, which evolved from free verse accounts of his twelve-hour shifts in the pits during their closure in 1985, now transformed into sonnets and double sonnets that reflect his complex relationship with authority.
Brookes’ poetry is a testament to his ability to transform the everyday into the extraordinary, blending personal experiences with broader societal themes, and inviting readers into the rich, nuanced worlds he creates.
‘you lock and load me, a tool at your control’
Paul Brookes, I Am a Gun
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