This is your Captain speaking ...
Anthology Update (June 11th 2026)Hello Balloonists.
We’ve sent out all the emails to the poets whose poems will form our third anthology (new working title Aeronauts Away! Awesome Adventures in a Poetry Balloon). The wonderful Colin West has started the process of matching poems to illustrators (we are massively grateful to Colin for taking this on … his knowledge and skills are matchless and so appreciated by the DB). Colin will be in touch with individual artists/illustrators with details about the poems.
Unfortunately, due to the level of interest generated, not every offer of help with illustrations can be taken up, and if clarification is needed, get in touch with me (Jonathan) at
editor at dirigibleballoon dot org
When this stage is completed and we have our illustrations with the poems, we will be back in touch with poets in order to check through the work before going to print. This will be some time yet; the process requires care and attention to detail, to ensure the book quality reflects the high standards the poetry deserves.
We have also taken Colin’s suggestion on which charity we’ll be supporting through publication of our third anthology. Keep Me Breathing (charity number: 1201757) is doing wonderful work for children and adults with Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS) a rare genetic disease which typically becomes apparent soon after birth. The charity helps people who suffer from impaired respiration and Keep Me Breathing is involved in research with the University of Cambridge Consulting Society to find a treatment for CCHS.
We hope that poets and artists involved in our latest project will be happy with the fruit of our labours, that they will let the poetry world know about their involvement and what we’re trying to achieve through our work here at the Dirigible Balloon.
Best wishes,
Up! Up! And away!
Jonathan Humble
Editor of The Dirigible Balloon
We’ve sent out all the emails to the poets whose poems will form our third anthology (new working title Aeronauts Away! Awesome Adventures in a Poetry Balloon). The wonderful Colin West has started the process of matching poems to illustrators (we are massively grateful to Colin for taking this on … his knowledge and skills are matchless and so appreciated by the DB). Colin will be in touch with individual artists/illustrators with details about the poems.
Unfortunately, due to the level of interest generated, not every offer of help with illustrations can be taken up, and if clarification is needed, get in touch with me (Jonathan) at
editor at dirigibleballoon dot org
When this stage is completed and we have our illustrations with the poems, we will be back in touch with poets in order to check through the work before going to print. This will be some time yet; the process requires care and attention to detail, to ensure the book quality reflects the high standards the poetry deserves.
We have also taken Colin’s suggestion on which charity we’ll be supporting through publication of our third anthology. Keep Me Breathing (charity number: 1201757) is doing wonderful work for children and adults with Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS) a rare genetic disease which typically becomes apparent soon after birth. The charity helps people who suffer from impaired respiration and Keep Me Breathing is involved in research with the University of Cambridge Consulting Society to find a treatment for CCHS.
We hope that poets and artists involved in our latest project will be happy with the fruit of our labours, that they will let the poetry world know about their involvement and what we’re trying to achieve through our work here at the Dirigible Balloon.
Best wishes,
Up! Up! And away!
Jonathan Humble
Editor of The Dirigible Balloon
List of contributing poets
(to whom we give much thanks):
Philip Ardagh
Lisa Allen
Hamnet Banjuhlo
Carole Bromley
Eleanor Brown
Carl Burkitt
Rachel Burrows
Sinéad Callanan
Fi Calvert
Graham Cawser
Pie Corbett
Louise Crosby
Josie de Falco
Carmella de Keyser
Helen Dineen
Hilary Elder
Stewart Ennis
Simon Fairbanks
Juli Frances Taylor
Vicky Gatehouse
AF Harrold
Angela Jelf
Mab Jones
Sue Lancaster
Emma Lee
Rebecca Leek
Leanne McClements
Wayne Medford
Sally Mills
Brian Moses
Victoria Nangle
Jane Newberry
Tom Owen
Inky Paige
Kev Payne
Emma Phillips
Emma Purshouse
Jacqueline Shirtliff
Gillian Spiller
Rhona Stephens
Morna Sullivan
Heather Wastie
Jennifer Watson
Colin West
Jack Wheeler
This poem is copyright (©) Jonathan Humble 2026
About the Writer
Jonathan Humble
Jonathan lives in Cumbria. His work has been published online and in print in a number of magazines and anthologies. His first collection of poetry, My Camel's Name Is Brian, was published by TMB Books in 2015. His second poetry book, Fledge came out in 2020 through Maytree Press. His poems for children have been shortlisted and highly commended in the Caterpillar and Yorkmix poetry competitions and he is the editor of The Dirigible Balloon. His poems Masterclass and This Work is Done were chosen as the Milk House Poem of the Year at the end of 2022 and 2023.
