Semaphore: 201011

about
semaphore

Semaphore is a literary project and persona, founded in 2009 by Samuel Peralta.

In the early days of the social network Twitter, while others streamed status updates, Peralta was one of the first to stream original poetry - as @Semaphore.

Semaphore became an online phenomenon, with over four million downloads of 300+ poems, acclaimed for their emotive impact and craftsmanship.

These poems - originally texts, posts and streams on multiple platforms - are now being collected and preserved in the books of The Semaphore Collection.

▪ Click for available titles

praise for the poetry of
samuel peralta

"Stunning, brilliant... Gorgeous imagery, beautiful writing... Truly becoming one of my favorite poets. Ever."
- Ellen Hopkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Perfect

"Luminous... What power in these concise, muscled lines."
- Hannah Stephenson, The Storialist & The Huffington Post

"[Peralta] writes of things that matter, so beautifully and simply, he can reduce you to tears."
- Julia Williams, Amazon bestselling author of The Summer Season

"When I first read 'Hush' I was moved by this most subtle of love poems. Now it's in my collection of favourites."
- Wendy Cope, Poet, previous Judge of Man Booker Prize and of UK Poetry Society and BBC Poetry Prize

"Beautifully written... Consistently excellent."
- Therese Walsh, Amazon bestselling author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy

"[Peralta] amazes with a crystal-clear view..."
- Maria Jacobs, Poet, publisher and previous Judge of League of Canadian Poets National Poetry Prize

"Magic... As beautiful as the snowfall outside my window."
- Beth Hoffman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

"Few poets alive can transcend free verse and metered form to grasp the ineffable... Peralta is that kind of poet."
- Christopher Reilley, Poet laureate of Dedham, Massachusetts and author of Grief Tattoos

about
samuel peralta

▪ Contact via Windrift Books

Samuel Peralta is a physicist, technology business leader, mobile software developer - and the award-winning poet behind Semaphore.

His literary honours include awards from the BBC, UK Poetry Society, a Palanca Award, and shortlists for the League of Canadian Poets and ARC Poem of the Year.

In the online era, his titles in The Semaphore Collection were all #1 Amazon Kindle Hot New Releases in Poetry, and ranked at the top of the Poetry Bestseller lists.

Peralta was #1 in voting for the Best Poetry on Twitter, and placed 12th in a Facebook reader's poll of favorite poets, topped by Shakespeare, Frost, and Neruda.

His poems have appeared in Existere, The Malahat Review, Metazen, MiPoesias, Poets and Artists, Undercurrents and other journals and anthologies.

Bridging critical acclaim and broad popular appeal, Peralta's Semaphore continues to be one of the most widely-read series in contemporary poetry.

copyright notice

Copyright © 2009-2013, Samuel Peralta.
All rights reserved.

These include, but are not limited to, adaptations, samples, or other derivatives emanating from the poems and original material on this website, whether in print, music, film, or other media.

No part of this website may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission of the author, which may be rescinded at any time.

Legal counsel Bereskin & Parr LLP.

Short quotations from poems are permitted as long as a link back to this blog is provided, with reference clearly made to this site and the author as the original source.

'Semaphore', 'Semaphore Anthology', 'Semaphore Collection', 'Sonata Vampirica', 'Sonnets from the Labrador', 'How More Beautiful You Are', 'Tango Desolado' and 'War and Ablution' are trademarks or service marks of Samuel Peralta.

Copyright to images illustrating book covers or poems are as attributed in each work, and used with permission of the original copyright holder; or via Wikimedia Commons, licensed as per the corresponding license for the source.

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'The Semaphore Collection', a continuing poetry chapbook series, is published by Windrift Books, a division of Windrift Bay Limited.

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