Liverpool Poet Ged Tompson tackles love headon with his new book!

LIVERPOOL based Poet, Author and Storyteller Ged Thompson is set to release his latest collection, Somewhere Between Heaven and Heartbreak, this November with a deeply intimate body of work that explores love, loss, and what it means to be human in a changing world.

Emerging from a background far removed from traditional literary pathways, Thompson's journey into poetry challenges long standing perceptions of who art belongs to. Having worked on nightclub doors and building sites, he never saw poetry as something accessible to working-class men. Now, his work stands as both a personal expression and a quiet disruption of that idea. "There were no poets on the nightclub doors or building sites where I'd worked. There was poetic justice, perhaps, but no poets,"

Thompson's relationship with writing began during a period of deep personal struggle. Ged explains:- "If I'm honest, it began in misery. They say poetry happens when nothing else can, and at a time when I couldn't find my way out of the darkness, it felt as though something placed a small light in my hands to navigate by. Poetry, in a very real sense, saved my life."

A chance encounter with a modern day poet led him to his 1st open mic performance; an experience that would shift the course of his life. "I was dared to read a poem I'd written for my grandad's funeral. I took the dare, and something shifted. My whole world changed," he recalls.

Since defying that pre-conception of what a poet looks like, Ged's work has been shared on stages and pages around the world. Writing across themes of love, hope and the quiet magic of being human, he explores the depth and vulnerability of the human experience. Alongside his creative work, he is also a facilitator who believes in the power of words to heal, connect and create meaningful change; giving talks and workshops at events and schools across the UK and beyond.

Somewhere Between Heaven and Heartbreak is Thompson's most personal work to date, with the stunning cover art by artist and psychotherapist Devona Hollins. Stepping away from his usual territories of magic realism and folklore, the collection writes of love, lust and loss, capturing the small, often overlooked moments that quietly shape a life. "It's very intimate. I still don't know if I've been artistically brave or silly putting something this personal out into the world. But I know it's honest, vulnerable, and heartfelt."

For Thompson, writing is more than expression; it is a tool for survival. He commented:-  "Writing is the most powerful tool I have for making sense of myself, It's the silver bullet in my mental health arsenal. It helps me untangle things that might otherwise remain unspoken." His daily commitment reflects this:- "It's the 1st thing I do each morning and the last thing I do at night. It bookends my days."

At the heart of Thompson's work is a challenge to the perceived exclusivity of poetry.. His journey reflects a broader shift in how art is accessed and who feels entitled to create it. Thompson admits:- "Socioeconomically, it seemed unlikely. I never saw poetry as something accessible to people like me. In that sense, it feels like I've stepped outside of what was expected."

The collection carries both a sense of mortality and a deep reverence for love. Thompson said:- "There's a phrase, memento mori; remember you will die -and a quieter counterpoint, memento amoris - emember to love. I hope this book carries both. That it reminds people life is fragile, but love is what gives it meaning."

Somewhere Between Heaven and Heartbreak is scheduled for official release on Sunday 15th November at Liverpool Book Festival, which is taking place at BoxPark Liverpool, and is available for pre-order until that date. The much anticipated collection of poems follows his acclaimed releases:- Middle Earth Magic, Diaries Of A Man Who Believes In Angels and The Little Book Of Heart Medicine.