Our final news round-up of the week brings you a denied entry visa, a look at poetry on Twitter and a Limerick bid for the European City of Culture.

South African Poet Denied Entry to the UK

Athol Williams, an acclaimed South African poet and author was due to return to his studies at the University of Oxford on Wednesday but instead was denied a UK Visa. The poet who charmed many by referring to the University as

has already completed a master’s degree in political theory and was due to start work on his doctorate in political theory shortly.

He has just spent six weeks back in South Africa before he attempted to return and has said he planned to resubmit his application; he hopes the visa denial is a mere technicality and nothing more sinister.

Williams is the author of

Twitter Poetry

Twitter first appeared on the web in 2006, back then it was a place to discuss what you had had for breakfast or other details of your daily life. Then in 2011 something changed and people began to ponder the idea that it could be used for literary ramblings. And the challenge of trying to fit poetry into the humble character limit allowed by Twitter, 140 characters, began.

Established poets rose to the challenge and took to the site with lines that were both playful and human, describing the joys of those things previously mentioned on Twitter such as toast and jam or bowls of cereal.

For others Twitter was simply a place to describe poetry and a new generation of poets and people who wanted to discuss poetry was born. This was the birth of the Alt-Lit online community, and the introduction of those people who prefer to hide behind a made-up name rather than use their own.

Well this world might just be about to get a short sharp shock. Soon, and quite possibly sooner than most posters would prefer the character count on Twitter is set to double to 280 characters. Whilst this might be good news for those who post memes and political rants this could really alter the way in which those poets who have been honing their poetry on 180 characters for the last few years post.

Nottingham 2023 European Capital of Culture Bid

Nottingham poet, comedian and TV producer Henry Normal has caused a big stir in the city with a limerick that he had written to support the city’s bid to be the first post-Brexit European Capital of Culture.

Normal has also written a number of limericks that tackle the Nottingham vote in the 2016 referendum; Nottingham voted by a margin of just 2000 votes to leave the EU. Nottingham are keen to show that whilst they might have voted to leave the EU, they are still very much an international city who would love the opportunity.