The Sealey Challenge 2026

Here is the final list of poetry books I read during August this year to complete the Sealey Challenge again.
@the Sealey challenge began for me on 1 August 2026, by chance in Disneyland Paris: a place of fantasy and storytelling. The first poetry book chosen for this years challenge was, appropriately, a beautifully told fantasy love story: ‘Cloud Blunt Moon’ by Chris Mulhern

31 days later and here’s the final list of books read: 

 Day 1: 'Cloud Blunt Moon' by Chris Mulhern 

Day 2: ‘I Have More Souls Than One’ by Fernando Pessoa 

Day 3: ‘The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain’ by Kazuo Ishiguro 

Day 4: 'Death of a Naturalist' by Seamus Heaney 

Day 5: ‘Seeing Stars’ by Simon Armitage 

Day 6: ‘Opening the Present’ Poems for York by John Beynon  

Day 7: ‘Little Alleluias’ by Mary Oliver  

Day 8: ‘The Wasted Land and Other Poems’ by T S Elliot  

Day 9: ‘After Vincent: Painting with Words: Ekphrastic Poetry’ by Catherine Avery St. Jean 

Day 10: ‘Dart ‘ by Alice Oswald 

Day 11: 'Cockatiels and Bold Women' for St Giles Hospice 

Day 12: ‘City of Verse: A London Poetry Trail’ by Kit Ward  

Day 13: 'The Thought-Fox' by Ted Hughes 

Day 14: ‘Like It Is’ by Philip Lyons  

Day 15: 'Felicity' by Mary Oliver 

Day 16: 'Pearl Blades and Painted Silks' The Language of Fans by Leena Batchelor 

Day 17: ‘New Cemetery’ by Simon Armitage  

Day18: 'yesterday i was the moon' by noor unnahar 

Day 19: ‘Rapture’ by Carol Anna Duffy 

Day 20: 'Sporting Relations' by Roger McGough 

Day 21: ‘Poems to Night’ by Rainer Maria Rilke 

Day 22: Forward Book of Poetry 2026 

Day 23: ‘On Balance’ by Sinéad Morrissey 

Day 24: ‘Poems for Children’ by Ted Hughes (S) 

Day 25: ‘A Man with a Rake’ by Ted Kooser (US Poet Laureate) 

Day 26: 'District and Circle' by Seamus Heaney 

Day 27: ‘Seven Ages Anthology: Poetry and Music’ by Various  

Day 28: 'An Ekphrastic Anthology' by The Malvern Spoken Word Group 

Day 29: 'Rainbows Red Book of Poetry' (Rainbow series 1) by Lily Lawson 

Day 30: 'Rainbows Yellow Book of Poetry' (Rainbow series 3) by Lily Lawson 

Day 31: 'Rainbows Orange Book of Poetry' (Rainbow series 2) by Lily Lawson

Having completed the challenge there are 31 more poetry books on my poetry shelves, new and favourite poets having been read, and affirmation of the beauty of poetry and its importance in the world. 

Thank you again @thesesleychallenge for your encouragement and inspiration and here’s to next year - I still have a few books stored ready to read in the next challenge! Meanwhile, I will keep reading and writing poetry for the coming 365 days! 

Favourites for this year? I don't like to single any out particularly, they are all excellent in their own ways and are testament to the talent of individual poets.

Force me to decide and I would say Seamus Heaney's 'District and Circle', 'On Balance' by Sinéad Morrissey, ‘The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain’ by Kazuo Ishiguro and ‘New Cemetery’ by Simon Armitage. 

A subperb collection of poetry books to have read during this year's @thesealeychallenge.