News / 29 Apr 2025
Creative Writing graduate publishes debut poetry collection
BA (Hons) Creative Writing
Recent BA (Hons) Creative Writing graduate, Alex Callaghan, has had their debut poetry collection, 'For All the Winter Through', published by Written Off Publishing.
‘For All the Winter Through’ is a poetry collection that Alex worked on during their time at university. The story that runs through the collection is the emotional journey of Alex’s time at university, leaving home, lockdown, through to life after the pandemic. It merges the troubles and anxieties of the real world with the whimsy of the phantasmagorical through fun characters such as a toad in a top hat.
"The only thing I have ever wanted to be - other than a cat - has been a writer, so to finally have a book to prove I am one is really special. I have been writing poems consistently for eight years now, starting with replicating nonsense poetry and giving it my own punchline, to then moving over to nature poetry, keeping always the magic of the mythological and the absurd. Now whatever I write, I try to find my own light in there, my own silly narrative. I always wanted to write poetry that anyone can enjoy, whether they normally read poems or not, and I think 'For All the Winter Through' accomplishes this, taking the reader through the whiplash of what I have always been told is my overactive imagination that I can never really get away from."
Alex Callaghan, BA (Hons) Creative Writing graduate
"Charming yet visceral, delicate yet mighty – a real joy to read!"
Matt Abbott, Poet, Educator and Activist
Written Off Publishing published the collection on 25 March and a launch event was held at Hyde Park Book Club on 1 April where Alex performed a reading, was interviewed, and signed copies of their book.
"The book launch was a really wonderful coming together of everything I had worked for, filled with people who had supported me along the way and made me the writer that I am today. I still didn't really believe the book was real despite having held it in my hands and then to have all these people that I love all in one room to celebrate this accomplishment was an emotional one."
Alex Callaghan, BA (Hons) Creative Writing graduate