Winners

I got up fairly early and sent off another manuscript off, more out habit than anything. Had planned a bit of a saunter in the woods with Brian, but it was a miserable morning.

Off this evening to the Royal Festival Hall. Met Robin on the train to Lewes we changed at Clapham for Waterloo. A wincingly pricey sharpener downstairs first, and then up to the fifth floor and the Poetry Society event, presenting the National Poetry Competition prizewinners. Brilliant to go with Robin as a tag team. It would have been a bit toe curling going alone. Thanks to Robin I was on the guest list. I naturally availed ourselves of the free wine and beer and canapés with alacrity (as did Robin) and wandered about separately, and together, chatting to folks.  

Enjoyed the readings from shortlisted poets, and then the winners. Can't say I was astonished by anything I heard, but the woman who was the runner up, Tifo Kusoro, read her poem very well. Nevertheless cheery to be rubbing shoulders with like minded folks, and spoke briefly to Rishi Dastidar who I had interviewed for the podcast and some of the other poets who had been shortlisted. 

Then Robin and I galloped off to catch a train. Some train weirdness so the train had to go via Brighton on the way home. We were happy too, as everyone got a goody bag, which contained the forthcoming issue of Poetry News, and The Poetry Review. In the middle spread of Poetry News was a photo of me and Robin I'd taken at Beachy Head, and a favourable write up of Planet Poetry. Robin and I had been floating about during the evening saying about the podcast, and great that many attendees will be reading about us on the way home.

Off at Lewes, Robin zooming on to Eastbourne. Twenty minutes wait and then a train to Seaford. Home around midnight.

Below Competition winner Lee Stockdale, unusually, a poet from the US, reading his winning poem ' My Dead Father's General Store in the Middle of a Desert'. And waiting for the Seaford train at Lewes station late at night.