New Year, New Poetry

Greetings and my best wishes for 2007, everyone. I know it's been a few weeks since my last confession but I've been trying to pretend I'm a normal balanced human being and not addicted to the internet. It hasn't worked, however, so here I am again, to tell you the latest news about my world.

I've got a number of fun and lively engagements to read from my brand-new poetry collection, BOUDICCA & CO, this spring. The first will take place this coming Sunday, January 21st, at the Fox in Leamington Spa, when I have been invited to appear as Guest Poet at Sean Kelly's monthly poetry gig, an always popular live poetry event here in the Midlands entitled PUREandGOODandRIGHT.

You can discover more about this particular event by clicking this link to the relevant entry on POETS ON FIRE.

Future readings are scheduled for London, Cambridge, Reading, Coventry etc. I'll write more about the next poetry reading as it approaches.

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Also, brilliant news for my poetry publishers, SALT, a Cambridge-based initiative run by a husband and wife team, Jen and Chris Hamilton-Emery. I received this email today about their recent shortlisting:

Salt shortlisted for innovation in the inaugural Independent Publishing Awards

CAMBRIDGE, UK (Salt Publishing) Salt has been shortlisted for innovation as part of the IPG's inaugural Independent Publishing Awards. The prizes, organised in association with The Bookseller and the London Book Fair, celebrate the very best of independent publishing in the UK. They will be presented at a Gala Dinner at the De Vere Grand Hotel in Brighton on 3rd March.

19 industry experts were involved in choosing the shortlists. The seven shortlists showcase 22 different independent publishers. Salt, selected for its efforts to reinvigorate poetry sales, is up against Faber & Faber in the category of Innovation of the Year. Judges praised Salt Publishing's efforts to raise interest in poetry through direct sales and its website. "In one of the hardest sectors of all to make money, Salt has taken poetry by the scruff of the neck and done something new and exciting with it."

More information:
Bridget Shine Executive Director, Independent Publishers Guild bridget@ipg.uk.com Tel: 01763 247014
Jen Hamilton-Emery Director, Salt Publishing jen@saltpublishing.com Tel: 01223 882220

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Finally, also in connection with Salt Publishing, my podcasts went live on the Salt website the other week, and it is now possible to amuse yourselves online in a few idle moments by clicking through a number of my poems in audio form, not to mention a short interview piece to camera. This is the link: Salt Publishing: Boudicca & Co.

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Meanwhile, back at the tougher end of the wordface, I am still working on placing a 50,000 word fantasy children's novel (for 9 - 11 year olds) with a friendly literary agency. So if you happen to be a literary agent who handles children's fiction and you are not repelled by the idea of working with me, please drop me a line ...