So Poetry Now was a blast and a whirlwind. RTÉ on Thursday for an interview with the lovely Vincent Woods – he put us four Strong Award ’listees at our ease. We were all still rattling but we did OK.
I had to dash to Roscommon on Friday for a reading at the Siar Scéal Festival in the very posh Clonalis House. A lovely night of poetry and harp, monologues and local history. And what a house. I have extreme delusions of grandeur and could definitely see myself living there…
Back to Dublin then for more Poetry Now. Dinner at the same table as Séamus Heaney, while chatting to George Szirtes and Mimi Khalvati – it doesn’t happen every day! They were all lovely. Also bumped into Colm Tóibín and I muttered how much I had been moved by his story ‘Donal Webster’, then I scuttled off.
Henri Cole was a wonderful reader: clear and engaging, with a slant view in his work. By all accounts Daljit Nagra stole the show at his reading.
Dave Lordan won the Strong Award, with his book The Boy in the Ring. Big congrats to him. It was a relief when it was over – the pre-reading/award nerves are the worst. I turn into a devil. Afterwards I have a personality transplant!
Back at the desk now and glad to be; this is what it is truly all about: the serenity of my study.
5 comments:
First, congrats on being a finalist, very very exciting! I'm sad I couldn't hear the interview. All this poetic dashing around, it sounds so romantic to me. Seamus Heaney here, Colm Toibin there. Shoulder-rubbing with the greats, my goodness!
Your comment about your study inspired my latest blog post. Glad you're back there, there is a time for touring and a time for sitting. And writing. And writing.
Tania
Hi WRW - I like your blog. Thanks for commenting over on mine. Poetry Now was indeed a blast. I saw (heard?) you read at the Strong event - will be writing that up for my blog soon. So many words, so few minutes! Daljit was indeed very entertaining, but I preferred Alan Gillis' work at that event.
Thanks T and PJ,
T - if you are interested, the interview is on the RTÉ website at this link:
http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0403/theartsshow.html
I'll be interested to hear what you made of us at the reading! We were a pack of nervous wrecks!!
Finally got my review of the Strong Reading up on the blog. Held off listening to the RTE interview until I'd finished it - just listened to that too - tnx for the link. Maybe have a look when you get a chance? cheers, PJ.
Hi PJ
Many thanks for your review. I linked to it today up further. Your kind words had me blushing and grinning. Thanks!!
WRW
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