Di Slaney

Since 2005 Di has been filling her ancient Nottinghamshire farmhouse and its land with more livestock than is sensible: Manor Farm Charitable Trust is home to over 180 animals at the last count, many of them with special physical or behavioural needs. As well as running the livestock sanctuary in Bilsthorpe, Di is also the owner of Nottingham-based independent poetry publisher Candlestick Press who produce beautiful pamphlets designed to be sent by post ‘instead of a card’. Di has a Master's Degree in Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University and her poems have been widely published and anthologised. She won first prize in the 2014 Brittle Star and 2015 Four Corners poetry competitions, was twice shortlisted for the Plough Prize and highly commended in the Forward Prize and Bridport Prize. Her pamphlet Dad’s Slideshow is published by Stonewood Press and her first collection, Reward for Winter (2016), by Valley Press. Her second collection Herd Queen was published by Valley Press in September 2020. She is poet in residence at Nottinghamshire Local History Association and is currently working on a third poetry collection about personal and historical health.