Thursday 28 February 2013

Poetic People: Caroline Gilfillan on Samuel Pepys


London and St Paul's ... but not quite as Pepys would have known it

I heard a riveting talk and poetry reading at UCS in Ipwich today. The presentation was given by Caroline Gilfillan, who has recently launched her poetry collection, Pepys, a work inspired by the famous diary.

Caroline Gilfillan’s poetry pamphlet, Yes, won the East Anglian Award for poetry in 2010. Caroline won the George Crabbe poetry competition in 2012 and the Jarrold’s Prize for the best poem by a Norfolk writer in 2007. Her poetry and fiction have been published in many magazines, including Mslexia and The London Magazine.

I visited Tate Modern for the first time recently, via the Thames Clipper from Greenwich. I took this view from the gallery, which is a converted power station. Later in the day we walked over the Thames on this bridge to St Paul's. Caroline reminded us just how different everything would have been in Pepys' day, with the devastation of the Great Fire of London ... and surgery without modern anaesthesia!

And for those who would also like to read an account of Pepys in prose, Caroline recommended Samuel Pepys: the Unequalled Self by Claire Tomalin.

Do look out for Caroline's poetry collection, published by Hawthorn Press.

STOP PRESS: I have just heard from Caroline, who adds ...

"People can buy Pepys by emailing me directly from here or via my website: www.carolinegilfillan.co.uk where they can also read some of my poems. Thanks!"

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