THE NEXT BEST THING
The Next Best Thing is an internet based networking idea whereby writers can share their own and each other’s work. The poet, novelist and creative writing tutor, Roselle Angwin, has asked me to take part in this. http://roselle-angwin.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop.html
These are the questions and my attempt
at answers:
My new poetry collection
is called ‘All the Invisibles’.
It was published in
November 2012 by SPM Publications.
Nnorom Azuonye, the
editor, is organising a launch for it in London, probably in March, along with new
collections by Afam Akeh and Roger Elkin.
I have always been
fascinated by the idea of hidden things, other dimensions, hence the title
poem. The setting of the shingle beach is actually Climping in West Sussex, an
evocative, atmospheric place that I love going to. I had been leading a writing
workshop at a friend’s house nearby, on the theme of ‘Outlines and Overlaps’,
and the mood and imagery of Climping found its way into my poem. While I was
writing it I was also thinking about the watercolours of Eric Ravilious who was
so inspired by the South Downs and in a way he became the one who ‘fell in love/
with the whiteness of chalk, the long slow/curves of a pale-green land, a
languorous/stretching of hills.’
A lot of my poems are
rooted in myth, legend or historical events with, hopefully, modern relevance.
I like to think they are in the visionary tradition. Many of them are in free
verse but there are also ‘form’ poems, particularly the extended terza rima
which I enjoy writing.
I’m not sure who I would
choose if I was lucky enough to have a video recording made of my poems. I love
the voices of the actor Robert Hardy and the singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Also
the poet Paul Matthews who inspires my poetry so much. If such a wonderful
opportunity ever presented itself I’d have to think carefully!
Poems that explore
dimensions and depths.
I have probably been
working on this collection for about 3 years.
I wouldn’t dream of
comparing myself to them but I have many favourite poets whose work I love and
who inspire me. Donne, Hopkins and Eliot were probably the first and most
important in my life but I am also influenced by Anglo Saxon poetry and the
writings of Wyatt, Keats, Shelley and Edward Thomas. Modern poets whom I admire
are Vyelwa Carlin, John Burnside, Mark Strand, Christopher Middleton, Robert
Hass and G.C Waldrep. I enjoy finding new ‘discoveries’ such as Rita Dove whose
poetry I have recently been introduced to.
I have always loved words
and was inspired, initially, to develop my skills by writing song lyrics when I
was living in South East London and involved in the folk club scene. With my
friend, Charles Gaan, who composed the music, I wrote lyrics for over 40 songs,
a full length musical for children which was performed with a cast of 100 and
several pieces for television. Later, when I found myself absorbed in writing
poetry, the lessons I’d learned from lyrics remained with me – the need for the
sounds and subtleties of the perfect word for example.
Poetry became my serious,
main love towards the end of the 90s. I was encouraged by poets David Morley
and Gillian Clarke at writing workshops
and later by David Caddy, editor of ‘Tears in the Fence’. The late Anne
Born – a wonderful poet and translator – was the then editor of ‘Oversteps
Books’ and offered me publication of my first collection ‘Bee Purple’, and
later of ‘Frost Hollow’. In recent years I have been given tremendous support
and encouragement by poets Pansy Maurer-Alvarez, Roselle Angwin, Paul Matthews,
Jim Bennett, Jane Duran, Jackie Wills and Mimi Khalvati, as well as many
friends in writing groups and the online forum ‘The Write Idea’.
