Up and coming poets. Darcy Carson in the middle, Charlotte Singleton on her right, Naomi Temple on her left
This is a young person's game and no mistake. Spent yesterday sacrificing myself on the altar of poesy.
First of all took 4 charming young women on the train to the National Gallery of Scotland where two of them- Naomi Temple and Charlotte Singleton- were receiving prizes in the ICreate Competition. All the work was read out as the paintings that inspired it were displayed. Absolutely cracking stuff. My highlights were- apart from Naomi and Charlotte- a girl from firhill Edinburgh called Annie Forbes who wrote a stunning and powerful poem about a Tiger Hunt and who won the under 15 category, and Darcy Carson from Wallace Hall who won the 16-18 category. Most of the work, if you'd read it cold, you would mistake for a very gifted and experienced adult writer's. Naomi and Charlotte's poetry can soon be seen in an anthology of poems for the Moat Brae Trust entitled 'On the Grass Cloud'. Some of the young people in this anthology will be reading their work at Dumfries Academy on the Moat Brae Open Night (6.00pm Wednesday 28th April Minerva Hall)
I then returned to see the girls back to Dumfries before embarking on another train north to the Gutter Reading at the National Library in Edinburgh. This was very entertaining, I read and caught up with some old friends like Kevin Williamson of Rebel Inc. Some drink was taken then the 11pm train to Glasgow where, after a seriously painful curry ,I eventually got to bed about 2, got up at 6 and got the train to school. Once upon a time I would have taken this mularky in my stride but I must confess to feeling today like I've been run down by a train.
Two pieces of news: The Lost Garden is out and due to be launched at the Bakehouse on May 1st and the Midsteeple on June 2nd.
and.....the other? It's most exciting but I'm afraid I'm not allowed to tell you for another two weeks.
10 comments:
Glad to see your mentoring skills will ensure another generation of poets with something to say. :)
Good for you, she whispered, not wanting to wake him up before it was absolutely necessary.
The National Gallery of Scotland is an excellent day out I agree, and is not to be missed.
As for the wee carry-out... I've been there masel many times.
What a day! And night, for that matter. Too much training the problem, I suspect. Well done Dumfries and Galloway Girls, and good news on the launches. Mystery man. You can't, technically, say something is "most exciting" and then not tell people what it is.
Maybe you were run down by a train. Would you have noticed?
x
The photo is a nice touch. It's always interesting to see the face which belongs to the words. :)
Well done these lassies and to their skilled mentor. This so makes me wish I was young again and had started this writing lark much earlier on in life! I hope they all enjoyed their big day and carry on with their writing - and really enjoy it.
Did you get a quantity discount voucher for train usage that day?!
Well done on being in (the) 'Gutter!'
A day in the life of the literati!! Well done to the girls, must have been a great experience for them. I remember Kevin from my SSP days, such a small world...
wig- how did you know I was in the gutter later that night?
Family and Friends Railcard, actually.
I didn't start young either. Last year was my silver jubilee!
marion- the world of pottery is a small one, indeed
Aha - I was speaking to the very encouraging Gutter chap at StAnza in the Poets Market and we bought the first two copies and saw your work in it ....and so I thought you'd likely be going up for the evening. Your blog made me think that was what it was too. Typical to have two important poetry things on the same day!
Er, silver jubilee - you mean you're only 25?! Mind, your 25 years of writing makes me hardly out of nappies. I've still so much to learn, masses to experiment with and sadly so much grey hair so the years are flying in for me far too quickly. Oh to be 25!
I must have had better things to do than write poetry when I was 25.
It all began in the Ewart Library in 1985, or so I claim in certain versions of the story....
Late developing's good...keep writing, Wig. You going to the Tide Machine Open Mike?
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