ABOUT C.W. BLACKBURN

C.W. Blackburn is a mystical poet and mental health advocate based in Bournemouth. He has authored five collections of poetry, including Where Words Are Yet To Be Spoken: Poems for Presence and One Hundred Colours of Being: Poems in the Spirit of Zen. His work has also been published in numerous magazines and journals, such as Kindred Spirit, Presence, Poetry for Mental Health, Dreich, The Hamblin Vision, Alien Buddha Zine, and Ribbons.

 

Since January 2022, C.W. has become a well-known figure in his local community, voluntarily promoting poetry as an art form and as a means of self-realisation and expression. He currently co-hosts The Platform open mic night with Abby G. Poetree, is involved in curating and presenting the poetry, spoken word and arts show on Hope FM’s Livewire Live and organises the Words for Wellbeing writers haven and Writing on the Wall poetry board at Bournemouth Library in association with Bournemouth Writing Festival. He has spun Words for Wellbeing out into seven successful and well-regarded poetry events, including Poetry in the Park and The Poetry Karaoke. In 2024, he also worked as a freelance editor on Fiona Robertson’s Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart and Gabriel Moreno’s Nights in the Belly of Bohemia collections.
 

His proudest moments as a writer so far were being featured in the April 2025 issue of Dorset Magazine, in reference to his work on Words for Wellbeing for the Bournemouth Writing Festival, and having a tanka poem read out on BBC Radio 4’s The Shipping Forecast in November 2023.

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He has performed at numerous events and fundraisers, including Bournemouth Writing Festival, Blandford Literary Festival, Purbeck Folk Festival, the National Trust's Festival of Blossom, and fundraisers for Amnesty International and the Green Party.