Sunday 27 March 2011

Poetry Now Festival Saturday

Saturday at the festival started with a workshop lead by Fiona Sampson, a fine poet and editor of Poetry Review. The workshop was crammed to the gunnels with talented poets and it was good to meet them. But what competition! And all creeping up on the first collection milestone. Fiona went through a poem from each poet (would have been easier with copies) A couple of gems I wrote down and paraphrase.
At the beginning you have to beguile your reader who is not totally on your wavelength.
You shouldn't have to read a poem twice to let it say what it wants to say
Beware of stapling the poem to the page with punctuation

She was full of praise for the poems but what I should have asked her whether she would take some for Poetry Review if we all submitted. I may do so anyway...

And Seamus Heaney won the Irish Times award for his collection Human Chain. A terrifically strong shortlist and some kind words. He was very humble and gracious in accepting.

More later as I'm hurrying back to see Don Paterson read now.

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