Saturday 29 August 2015

London Launch: Poems for a Liminal Age in aid of Médecins Sans Frontières

We had an inspiring afternoon at the London launch of Poems for a Liminal Age, edited by Mandy Pannett and published by Nnorom Azuonye of SPM.

The book will raise funds for Médecins Sans Frontières, UK.

We only reached home about an hour ago, so these unedited photos are hot off the press. I apologise for the quality, but at least they give a flavour of the wonderful occasion.

Right: Poet and Publisher, Nnorum Azuonye, Director and CEO, SPM Publications

Editor, Mandy Pannett welcoming us at the beginning

Editor, Mandy Pannett

Wendy Klein

Alwyn Marriage
Lin Lundie

Richard Copeland

Alison Lock

Alison Lock

Sean Street

Bill Holdsworth

Margaret Wilmot

Beth Somerford

Diana Mitchener

Afam Akeh

Afam Akeh

Alison Lock and me

Alison Lock, Mandy Pannett (centre) and me

Nick Cooke

Helen Moore

Caron Freeborn

Spencer Edgar

me!


Linda Black

Anthony Costello

Mark Howorth-Booth

Jacquie Wyatt

Poet and Publisher, Nnorum Azuonye, Director and CEO, SPM Publications

Mario Petrucci

Andie Lewenstein

Paul Matthews

Launch venue


Update: YouTube of some of the launch readings here.

Thursday 27 August 2015

The Poetry Trust's Poetry Prom at Snape

Snape Maltings, Suffolk, UK

We attended the annual Poetry Prom at Snape last night, and thoroughly enjoyed engaging presentations from two world-class poets who had flown in from the USA, Naomi Shihab Nye and Mark Doty.

It was Ellen McAteer's first Poetry Prom as Director of The Poetry Trust, and it was good to be able to exchange a few words with her at the end.

Naomi is described by The Poetry Trust as 'a passionate cross-cultural ambassador whose engaging grounded poems are a call for peace and international goodwill in these troubled times.'

There was sensitivity (Mark Doty's poem about an encounter with a young goat and Naomi Shihab Nye's piece about an unexpected gift). There was style - and huge appreciation from the audience.

Mark Doty read a hot-off-the-block (or tablet/iPad) poem which he had just written as a result of a call from the States.

I bought a signed copy of Naomi's collection, A Maze Me, which I much look forward to reading. 

It was a lovely occasion, and a chance to mingle with friends in the book signing queue, and over coffee and chocolate brownies in the interval. 

Friday 14 August 2015

Poems for a Liminal Age - edited by Mandy Pannett (SPM 2015)



The photo above may seem somewhat unseasonal on a mild (if somewhat grey) August afternoon in the UK, but it seems to fit a poem of mine, 'Weddell Seal at the Ice Edge', which has been included in the forthcoming anthology, Poems for a Liminal Age, published by SPM Publications, the publishing arm of the Sentinel Poetry Movement.  

The book was published on 24 August 2015. Sales from the volume will raise funds for Médecins Sans Frontières, UK

You can find a list of poems and poets here. The book will be launched in London.