Puffin Quest (5): THANK YOU to all who voted!

It's those puffins again!

My sincere thanks to all who voted for my puffin poem, 'A Chink in the Sky' in the Writelink Spring Fever poetry competition. I am pleased to report that it made the 'grade for publication' in the anthology in the judge's eyes by the skin of its teeth (or should that be by the tip of its bill?).

'A Chink in the Sky' came in at number 10 in judge, Magdalena Ball's shortlist.

If my poem had been number 11, all your votes would in fact have saved my puffins from 'near-extinction' (as the final publication list comprised the judge's Top 10 poems plus the 10 poems with the most votes) - so thank you very much for your support.*

The poem will be published in the Writelink Spring Fever anthology in due course.


* Many of you will know that puffins are in the Amber category on the RSPB 'conservation' list...

Literary Landmarks (Taster): Looe island

Dusk on Looe Estuary

If you are interested in the links between literature and landscape, you might like to join me as I post my electronic postcards on my Land&Lit blog.

I have not ventured out to the small island off the coast of the Cornish harbour resort of Looe; but I can vouch for the quality of the fish and chips in the town, which we ate by the ice silo as darkness descended. The island is famed for the smuggling exploits that were undertaken by the Hooper family in the late 18th and early 19th century. Island life has changed considerably since then and most of the residents today have four legs or a pair of wings.

A hoard of Roman coins has come to light on Looe Island. Members of Time Team are due to appear in a programme filmed on the island later this year (I believe 1 March is the scheduled date). If you go to my aNobii bookshelf - lower right on this blog - you will find details of a small book, We bought an Island, about two intrepid sisters who gave up their suburban jobs and lives to move to Cornwall with a view to owning the island and starting a pottery. They showed remarkable commitment to their project, encountering storms, boat troubles ... and rats!

• BBC on Looe Island
• Time Team Guide (see Hermit Harbour)
• The Wildlife Trust: press release on St George's Island off Looe, and the programme.
• The Western Morning News on the story
• The Looe Island Story by Mike Dunn