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Poet interview: Dean Wilson

With a new collection from Dean Wilson imminent, Wrecking Ball Press caught up with Hull’s fourth best poet and the Withernsea-loving enigma to discuss the coastal town he loves, writing and pebble collecting.
 
Dean Wilson with the Turin Shroud of PebblesHow are you feeling ahead of a new collection?
Happy and anxious.
 
What experience do you want your readers to have?
A good laugh, mainly.
 
Your first collection Sometimes I’m So Happy I’m Not Safe on the Streets was followed by the publication WITH. Why With? What’s your fascination with the place?
I love With. I came to With every year on holiday when I was growing up. Lots of happy memories. I moved here a year ago. It’s a magical and wonderous place. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.
 
How does your life manifest itself in your writing?
It’s all there, warts ‘n’ all!
 
Your work’s pretty revealing then, so how do you decide what to write about and what to leave out?
I don’t decide what to write about and what to leave out. I’m writing in my head all the time whether I’m walking on the beach, dusting, shopping, swimming or watching Corrie.
Rhymes never leave me alone. I very rarely sit down and write unless I’m sending Wrecking Ball Press poems for my next book.
 
What impact has social media had on your poetry and writing?
I’m only on twitter. I joined in June 2016 just before Sometimes… came out. I love twitter. A lot of my poems I put straight on there. Short and fast and fun! I’ve met some ace people through twitter. I love it.
 
You make a really big impact with your live performances but get pretty anxious before a gig. How do you feel about performing your work?
I love performing and making people laugh. It’s the best feeling I know. I don’t like the build up – the rehearsing and the doubts and the nerves, but it’s all worth it.
 
Do you have any thoughts about your experience of independent publishers?
I’ve got nothing to compare it to. It’s the only way I know!
 
You’ve developed an obsession with pebbles. Tell us more about why?
It’s since I moved to With. I found one with a hole in and it blew my mind. Then a few weeks later I started Pebble of The Day on twitter and the rest is geology…
 
You’re working on a novel. How’s that going and what can we expect?
My first and last novel is about a young gay Brontë obsessed postman with a secret. It’s going very slowly. It’s hard work. Poems are easy, anyone can write poem. I won’t be writing another novel. Life’s too Doilies short!
 
So what’s the future hold for Dean Wilson?
Pebbles Pebbles Pebbles
Poems Poems Poems
Gigs Gigs Gigs
Books Books Books
Painting Painting Painting
Men Men Men
Doilies Doilies Doilies
Music Music Music.
 
Dean Wilson is a poet now based in the Holderness coastal town of Withernsea. He collects pebbles on the beach at With and posts them on twitter. Karen Turner recently made Dean a quilt inspired by his pebble collecting, which the poet described as “The Turin Shroud of the pebble world.” When Dean was a boy he never dreamt he’d be the 4th best poet in Hull and the 2nd best in Withernsea. Dean’s collections are published by Wrecking Ball Press. Whet your appetite for his next collection by purchasing Sometimes I’m So Happy I’m Not Safe on the Streets at www.wreckingballpress.com/product/sometimes-im-so-happy-im-not-safe-on-the-streets-dean-wilson.