Francesca Kay Poetry & Print

I publish my collections of poetry in seed packet form, and in little handmade books.. Here are the letterpress printed seed packets holding poems.

Garden Seasons is my favourite poem packet. Most of the poems were written over the course of a year at Tretower Court, where I was the gardener many years ago. The poems followed the seasons, and I have added a few more to make up this collection.

I love writing haiku and micropoems, and this collection contains my favourites.

A Blue Moon is a strange and rare time, and this packet of poems charts the progress of the night of the Blue Moon, when very strange things happen.

Mythic Beasts contains poems detailing all my sightings of Mythic Beasts, both ancient and modern.

Four collections of poetry in their seed packets. The design of the packets has changed over the years, but the poetry remains the same.

A little folded book with text and illustrations all about how wonderful dandelions are.

My little Dandelion book has a separate folded cover.

Love Nettles is a handmade book, describing the wonderful Nettle, that so many people think of a a weed.

The book is contained in a separate folded cover, with a botanical print of a Nettle leaf.

My little Ajax printing press, over 70 years old,

comes with me to spread the love of print.

Printed in one of my workshops, the literal translation from Welsh is ‘potato flower’, but it’s really an affectionate nickname.

A mask making workshop at Hay Castle.

These great prints are from a lovely afternoon workshop, when the Ajax press behaved very well. Sometimes it doesn’t print entirely efficiently, but it always makes satisfying prints.

Making little books with a sheet of A4 paper, one scissor cut and a few simple folds. These books from a workshop at Hay Castle.

Simple origami birds, and Indian block prints, a lovely combination.

One of my favourite ever ‘About the Author’ covers on a handmade book. The young writer was from Year 5.

This wonderful display of letterpress words and phrases was part of a ‘Windows of positivity’ project in Blaenavon, where shop windows were filled with art. I visited several venues and people printed words about their home town. Displayed in on black ribbon with gold stars.

I make cards with groups of children, sometimes as a drop in session. These were from some lovely days spent in the Blaenavon Heritage Centre.

Introducing people to setting type and printing is always a thrill.

Concrete Poetry puts images and words together. Here’s one of my favourites, made by a year 4 artist.

Beautiful image made by a young artist at Llantarnam Grange.

I love to take my little Ajax press out and about. From drop-in library sessions, to meetings of older people, groups in schools, and with the crafters of Criw Celf, it’s wonderful to demonstrate the art of letterpress printing, and encourage everyone to have a go.

My small blue flatbed press is quite rare, and was made by Ajax, so that’s its name.

Some wonderful collage greeting cards made by a group of adults, who spent a happy afternoon cutting and sticking!

Paper Angels made from old book pages.

A lovely project in Newport, combining writing, printing, and craft. I loved visiting this group over a period of several weeks.

One of my most enjoyable projects ever. Making books, with slipcases, creating text and illustrating, and then printing covers. It was quite a few years ago, but still memorable to me. Fabulous.

Printing names and friendship words.

Poems presented in strip form, with a little folded pocket on a greeting card.

Young pirates making maps and pirate hats. We had a graduation ceremony at the end, wearing their hats, and with the maps tied with red ribbon.

Performing my poem ‘Spiky Hedgehog’ in the great outdoors with a lovely group of young writers at Gnoll Primary School in Neath, We are in Gnoll Park.

All looking very pensive at a Writing Squad meeting in Blackwood Miner’s Institute.

A year 5 class and I celebrate conquering metaphors!

A poetry reading at the end of National Poetry Day, with the whole school taking part.

This young poet giving a bravura performance of her poem about the Greek mythological Underworld!

Studious young poets in Newport Art Gallery and Museum.

Very happy writing a story in tweet format in Barry Library.

Concentrating on our work

A day of writing, and making books with the Gwynedd Writing Squad.

A lovely session of poetry in an outdoor setting.

Some of my favourite mythical beasts are here, celebrated in poetry, letterpress and silhouette.

The postcards are available in my Etsy shop.

Anubis, the calm and beautiful guardian of the Ancient Egyptian deceased. I didn’t realise how many people love Anubis until I began making these cards.

Norse goddess Freya is often shown in a chariot drawn by cats. Anyone who lives with cats knows how frustrating that would be.

I have great affection for Odin’s ravens. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have two huge and beautiful corvids sitting on your shoulders?

Anyone who has done any teaching has a ‘teacher’s look’ for those times when it is neccessary!

Playing with a three-headed dog would present certain challenges.

Medusa, the ultimate curly haired person!

Intense emotion, as well as the full moon, can change you into a werewolf - stay calm!

I love Baba Yaga, with her wooden house that can stand up and walk on its chicken legs.

More Cthulhu - what a challenging name!

Even when I was very young, and reading my picture book of the adventures of Odysseus on his epic 20 year journey home from the Trojan War, I though he really wasn’t trying too hard to return!

Is it a mythical beast? If not, it’s certainly very shy!

A creature made up of parts of different creatures.

The haiku in the collection make beautiful abstract images.

Sarah and I shared out the poems for each month, and wrote from our hearts.

Here’s the introduction.

And here’s the dedication. For Sarah’s late father, David Wood. A wonderful man, and a great letterpress printer.

The second collaboration with Sarah Lane. A book of haiku about trees, letterpress printed, in a book bound with a twig. We loved visiting our favourite trees, and finding new ones.

Trees is a handmade limited edition book, and you can find it in my Etsy shop.

The prologue to ‘Trees’ is a set of four seasonal haiku.

One of Sarah’s haiku, celebrating the ancient Yew.

I have great affection for Elder, and my haiku celebrates it.

Sarah wrote a beautiful meditation on trees, which you can find at the back of the book.

A little extra, tucked in to the back of the book, thanking the cafes and tea rooms we visited while writing, editing and planning. Tea and cakle are an essential part of our creative process!

outside, in the dark,

reach out with an open hand

and touch the moon

brittle sunlight, shade,

golden path of acorns, leaves,

heartbeat of autumn

changed by water and time,

different, familiar shore,

everything returns

hours gather miles,

rain erases them,

the landscape changes

holly and ivy,

king and queen of the grey months

wait for sunreturn

holding memories,

guardian of the past,

future dreams ready to grow

I love writing bookmarks with dip pen and ink, and decorating with line drawings and watercolour paint.

I love dandelions, and so I drew one with words as part of the flower. It's in the style of the old Larousse publishing house logo.

Happy Birthday, or any other heart shaped handwritten card - I love the challenge of writing a card like this!

I wrote this for fun, liking the Baroque look of it. Luckily no one has taken it as an advert!

This piece was made for an exhibition at The Workers Gallery in Ynyshir, about dissent and rebellion. The central quote is a version of a talk I heard given by legendary writer Alan Moore, and round the outside are the opening lines of some famous dystopian novels. I am thrilled to say that this picture sold almost immediately!

I write whatever comes into my head, and I like the way these thoughts look written with dip pen and ink.

This lovely quotation about friendship was a commission. The longest text I’ve ever written.

There’s something about writing by hand that makes me think myths and legends!

I went to a Modern Calligraphy workshop, and was instantly hooked! It’s a joyful challenge to make my left handed journey into this fascinating craft.

Green books work best as the stands for thistles.

Old maps make lovely thistles, this one growing out of a beautiful old book.

Each thistle I make is different. I really love making them, and they dance away to new homes.

Some of my printing blocks are too old and damaged to print with. I thought of all the words they have printed in the past, and made paper roses with book pages to grow out of them, like memories.

The name of my home town, made with printing blocks and paper roses. These three were on my stall at a craft fair in Hay during the Literature Festival - and sold immeditely.

I was thrilled to see my paper thistles featured on the cover of the 2024 summer edition of Historic Houses magazine. Photographed at Hay Castle, which is a wonderful place to display them.

A group photo of ten letter flowers, commissioned by a customer who wanted to give her best friends a gift. I loved making these.

I really enjoy making thistles and finding the right books.

I really like this thistle, with a red stem and strong colours. It’s growing out of an old edition of ‘War of the Worlds’.

A group photo from above for some thistles about to depart to the shop in Hay Castle, in Hay on Wye.

Each thistle has its own character.

I wrote this for myself during the pandemic, and it has proved popular with others!

I find a postcard is a great size to say what I want to say.

I’ve printed this phrase in many different ways over the years, but this one is my favourite!

When I learned this word (pronounced LaloKezia), I knew it would make a wonderful postcard!

I love Shakespeare, and this print, made with a lovely Shakespeare printing block, is photographed with my bust of Shakespeare. The bust does look John Malkovich though!

A play on Wednesday Thursday Friday and - if you know, you know! WTF is a very popular postcard.

Another print I made for myself, and when I made more it has proved popular. I like printing with gold ink.

Read Banned Books, made originally for an exhibition at The Workers Gallery in Ynyshir, and made this one when it sold. I’ve also made it into a bookmark.

I love this dinosaur skeleton printing block, ad couldn’t resist adding a meteor to this small letterpress print. Sometimes I write the caption with dip pen and ink.

I printed Normal Service will not be Resumed during the first lockdown - and I think it still holds true today.

This print was made as a request from Musician and writer Rufus Mufasa, as a print for an exhibition. Ffiniau means boundaries in Welsh, and my print explored that. I used an oil painting from a charity shop, the word FFINIAU letterpress printed and collaged onto the picture, with some paper covered twine twisted in front of the image to represent a physical boundary. I really enjoyed thinking a bit differently in creating this picture.

Based in Hay Castle, the newly formed Guild of Letterpress Printers is Sarah Lane, Graeme Hobbs and me.

Hay Castle has a beautiful 1853 Columbian Press, and it is our privilege to print with it, and showcase this very special press to the Castle’s visitors.

Our first event was on Easter Saturday this year with demonstrations of printing on the Columbian press and smaller presses. We share our love of the history of print, and showcase our own work too.

For the Hay Festival 2025, we printed a commemorative poster with wooden Old English type, and Victorian pointing finger manicule. We spent the first Saturday of the Festival printing for the public.

Performing a poem with some very excited children.

The moment before we all make the shape of a hedgehog with our hands and shout SPIKY HEDGEHOG!

Here is my Spiky Hedgehog poem in mid performance in Cardiff Central Library,

My favourite classroom picture. Not everyone is enthralled by poetry!

Even rainy weather does not deter us.

Reading for the whole school after a lovely day writing poems at Mountain Lane Primary School in North Wales.

This was a lovely barn venue for a writing day.

Words of inspiration and meaning. Letterpress printed, and then folded into decorated cardboard covers, tied with string.

Some tiny haiku, letterpress printed, and displayed in a tunnel. I use recycled card covered with original papers, and the poems stretch back, with the type getting smaller. You can read the haiku front to back, or back to front.

It’s a lovely way to present my beloved haiku.

Here’s one of my favourite tunnel haiku. I love the blue marbled paper.

Three folded phrases; Beautiful dream world, Our love unfolds, and Just one look and time stood still.

All is not lost, printed with lovely old wooden letters, and folded into recycled decorated cardboard covers, and tied with string.

A lovely alternative to putting a print into a frame.

A paper globe, made from a moon calendar.

Three paper globes made from old maps.

Sea Dogs, a rampaging pirate tail (correct spelling here, it's about dogs as well as pirates), written with the brilliant Gareth Wood, and commissioned by Ty Cerdd, the National Music Centre for Wales. It's a story for narrator and very loud symphonic Brass.

There have been many performances,  with players and audiences all dressed as pirates and well up for it. I have narrated this piece with huge pleasure, and Gareth's music is magnificent. Argh.

The photo shows me and some young pirates, very happy at a performance at the Wales Millennium Centre.

Music by Gareth Wood, and story by me. This was commissioned by the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and is a story for narrator and brass ensemble. I narrated, dressed as Mrs Santa, and the players and conductor were all in elf outfits!

The First Dragon, a story of mine, with the most beautiful music by Mervyn Burtch.  Commissioned in 1999 by Adrian Partington, it has had many many performances, but I can't find any photos! So the picture is of a recording we made of the piece, with players from NOW and Adrian conducting. 

It's for narrator and string ensemble, and was commissioned to be on the same programme as Peter and the Wolf, so uses the same players.

It's been my privilege to narrate this piece, and Mervyn's music never fails to move me, especially at the end of the story of the Frist Dragon, some foolish adults, and a very wise little girl. 

Here is a beautiful mural of Mervyn Burtch, in characteristic pose at his piano. It's in Lewis School in Pengam, and was painted by his daughter in law, Gig Jones. A lovely tribute. 

This was the most monumental piece, for a huge choir and innumerable groups of instruments. Comissioned by the Gwent Music Service, to take to the Schools Prom at the Royal Albert Hall. The rather blurry photo shows the enormous choir, dressed in a mixture of white, green and red. 

There were four songs, one for each of the four elements, and my words were set to music by Chris Petrie, who displayed a wonderful confidence and vision. A truly heroic evening.

This was a lovely piece of music written by Peter Reynolds for the Mavron Quartet. My words weren't in the music, but had formed the idea from which the music grew. I have read the poem before the piece is performed several times. 

footsteps quiet in the shadows is one of the poems in my collection 'Mythical Beasts'. 

The ultimate Medieval rose. 

Although I no longer garden for money, I love my little garden, and my allotment. I always take pleasure and inspiration from the seasons.

I wrote the poems for the collection Garden Seasons over the course of a year - at Tretower and on the allotment I had at the time.

I printed some postcards with words that have resonance for me. I hope you like them, and perhaps they will speak to you.

All the postcards are available in my Etsy shop if you’d like one.

It seems like a time to think about what we stand for. This word has been in my mind for a while.