My Writing Life
Lots of good news this week:
Firstly, I now have two readings booked for:
Thursday 19th November at Lancaster Library at 6 pm
Tuesday 24th November at Ambleside Library at 3 pm
I hope that all the people who couldn’t make it to my launch will be able to come and enjoy hearing my poetry. So pop the dates in your diary and tell your friends.
Secondly, my book Gardening with my Father is now on sale at the Lancaster Tourist Information Office and will shortly be on sale at Fred Holdsworth’s Bookshop in Ambleside.
And last, and certainly not least, I am now able to announce that my poem, Visiting the British Museum, was shortlisted for the Bridport Poetry Prize 2015. Come and hear it at one of the above events.
Apart from all that, it’s has been a good week on the writing front. I have managed to start three new poems, and even if two of them don’t go anywhere I love the feeling that I have something to work on. Every few weeks, I try to return to the poems I have written and aired at my writing group and do some editing, based on the comments received. This is a good discipline for me as I find it hard, for some reason, to revisit recent work. So apart from writing new stuff that’s my task for next week.
On Thursday I attended one of the highlights of our poetry year here in Lancaster, April Poets. This group of dedicated writers organise a poetry event twice a year in April, (hence the name) and in October. The events are always well attended and always feature great writers. This Thursday was no exception, with reading from Lindsey Holland, David Borrott, Hubert Moore and Kim Moore, as well as music from John Woodward, a fine classical guitarist. Because I know David and Kim, I particularly enjoyed their readings and it was really good to hear poems from David’s first pamphlet, Porthole. There were also readings from the group of six poets who started these events in order to celebrate that this was, in fact, the 10th April poets; and long may it continue!
Reading Week
This week our reading group met to discuss Awakening by Stevie Davies. It is an absorbing historical novel focusing on the lives of two sisters caught up in the mid 19th Century religious Revival in the borders of Wales. We had a very lively discussion. As I only finished reading Awakening on Thursday, while waiting for the plumber to come, I haven’t had much time for poetry reading. However, I intend to share more of my thoughts on the books by Mimi khalvati and Carola Luther, as I continue to enjoy their work at a leisurely pace.
Hare in the Headlights
Not too scary a week really, but I had to pluck up a lot of courage to go into the libraries and enquire about doing readings, and an awful lot of courage to go into the Tourist Information Office in Lancaster, and the bookshop in Ambleside to ask if they would sell my books. Everyone was delighted to help and couldn’t have been more positive, thank goodness!
Till next time