Out and about

I seem to have lined myself up with a variety of poetry events to go to over the next few weeks – partly because it’s National Poetry Month, partly because it’s my birthday month but also because I need to get out more.

First up is David Harsent’s poetry workshop in Cambridge on Saturday, part of Wordfest – for some reason I’m approaching this with trepidation. I do know it will be a really good day and that I’ll get a lot out of it as I did out of Pascale Petit’s wonderful workshops at Tate Modern but…. Well it’s still the school holidays and I shall be gone for the whole day. I’m sure they will cope and there’s really no need for me to feel guilty.

Later in the month I’m going back to the South Bank to hear Jane Hirshfield read from her latest collection “Come Thief”. Little does she know that she has a hard act to follow which was Alice Oswald and Memorial.

Then in May there is Martin Figura’s Whistle at Camden Roundhouse. Ever since I discovered that he performs it I have been promising myself that I would get organised enough to get to a performance. With the assistance of Vanessa Gebbie I do have a ticket. I also have Jan Fortune to thank for pressing a preview copy of Whistle into my hands about two years ago and exhorting me to buy it and read it. It is one of the poetry books that gets taken off the bookshelf more often than many of others. The prospect of hearing it live gives me goosebumps. Roll on May.