Poets and portraits

Recording this morning with Robin, then a bit of editing, and a walk down by the sea.

To London this evening, met Robin at Lewes station and we made off to The Artworker's Guild Hall in Queen's Square, in London. Very grand room, and full of folks to hear the winners of the Poetry Society's  National Poetry Competition. Robin is on the committee and she got me in for nowt. People floating around with trays with microdotted with canapés, and free wine or champers. I stuck to red. The walls of the room covered in famous Artworkers of the past. A poetry reading of the top ten entrants. Good poems. The winner was Fiona Larkin, who Robin knew a bit, with a very neat poem called Absence has a grammar about both the Finnish language, and missing her son who was travelling in Australia.

Mingled a bit. One of the younger poets, Sorrel Briggs, had covid, but her twin sister read her poem instead and rather well too so spoke to her and her family.  I chatted to Chris Beckett, one of the prizewinners, who had a nice poem The broom upside down inspired by a tradition his Japanese wife told him about.  Also spoke to Lee Knapper, after I'd fallen into conversation with his mum. Lovely people.  

We left at 9:10 because of living in the sticks, and managed to catch a train by the skin of our teeth, buying some sparkling water and crisps to augment the thin fare of the evening. Planning with Robin the May reading a bit, and I was getting excited about her first full collection, The Mayday Diaries, which she should receive in a box tomorrow. Robin characteristically trying to be very businesslike about it.

I hopped off at Lewes, the Seaford train was waiting. 

Home at 11:30, Lorraine already in bed. A slice of bread with peanut butter on it, and soon I was kicking Brian off my side of the bed, and was happy to be there.

Below the scene at the Artworker's Hall, and the winning poet Fiona Larkin.