E Y E W E A R, THE BLOG - FREEDOM MEANS BEING UNAFRAID TO WRITE WHAT YOU THINK

Christian Ward had a lot going for him - a book forthcoming, a prestigious creative writing MA degree, and relative respect, as a younger poet,  At 32, he was not a rising star (he had not won any major prizes or an Eric Gregory award) but neither was he unknown; he had been featured at Eyewear , for instance, so was on my radar.  All this has changed, disastrously for him.  He has made national news, as a plagiarist - possibly in the worst case imaginable - ripping off, apparently, the hugely beloved genuine rising star Helen Mort , in a contest celebrating Exmoor, a beloved part of England.  Mr. Ward's poetry career is in ruins - just as Nigel Farage 's campaign plane once was - and he needs a reboot, such as perhaps Max Clifford or Oprah offer. But he is no celebrity, and in poetry circles plagiarism is as bad as kicking a kitten.  Christian Ward is now something of a poetry pariah in some British circles.  I have sympathy and concern for anyone in...