Di Slaney: Where Poetry, Nature and Animals Meet
In this interview, I speak with Di Slaney, a poet, publisher and passionate advocate for animals and the natural world. Based in Nottinghamshire, England, Di runs Manor Farm Charitable Trust, a livestock sanctuary, alongside her independent publishing company, Candlestick Press.
With a background in marketing and a lifelong affinity for writing, particularly poetry, Di discovered a new source of inspiration when she and her family moved to their farm in Nottinghamshire. What began with a few chickens soon developed into a fascinating exploration of the world through the eyes of the animals themselves. By imagining life from their perspective, Di found a fresh and imaginative voice for her poetry, one that invites us to look at the world a little differently.
Di shares how much she has learnt from the animals in her care and speaks about the importance of preserving not only the historic farmhouse but also the surrounding land and its natural environment. Her journey from keeping a few chickens to establishing a livestock sanctuary reflects her remarkable creativity, dedication and energy.
Alongside her work with animals and poetry, Di runs Candlestick Press, an independent publisher known for its beautifully produced poetry pamphlets, which make poetry accessible to a wider audience. Di’s writing has received significant recognition. She won the Plough Poetry Prize in 2022 and has been highly commended in the Forward Prizes for Poetry in both 2016 and 2026. Her work has also been highly commended in the Bridport Prize in 2020 and the Rialto Nature and Place Competition in 2025. These accolades reflect her distinctive poetic voice and her ability to find inspiration and meaning in the natural world.
What I particularly love about Di's work is the way she draws inspiration from nature and the animals she lives alongside, while also finding ways to bring other people closer to them. Through her writing, her sanctuary and her publishing work, she creates opportunities for people to connect with the natural world, discover poetry and perhaps see animals in a new light.
Di's story is a beautiful reminder that inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places, and that creativity, compassion and a willingness to observe the world around us can lead us down extraordinary paths.
Every artist has a story worth hearing.
https://www.dislaney.com
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