World Book Night: Shakespeare and I

Next Monday 23rd April has been designated World Book Night (as well as being Shakespeare's birthday) and it is being celebrated all over the country with various events (see below).

It is also my own birthday and the day of the launch of my latest book of poetry, Acapulco: New and Selected Poems (Melos) so it will be an exciting day all round I hope. I see from the organisers of the event that there will be candlelight readings up and down the land but I think they are planning normal lighting at my launch at Lumen in Tavistock Place in Bloomsbury.

In addition to one million books being given away by 20,000 volunteers and distributed by charities in prisons, hospitals and schools in disadvantaged communities, the organisers say that World Book Night will see tens of thousands of people getting involved in hundreds of free, public reading events taking place in libraries, bookshops, art centres and open public spaces.  For example at the Southbank Centre the World Book Night flagship event will be screened for everyone to see via big screens in art venues and libraries around the country and on the World Book Night website


The World Book Night website at www.worldbooknight.org has the latest details for all events.

I am not giving away any books but here is a free poem from my new collection which can be ordered online from www.melospress.blogspot.com

Thanks to Sarah Crown of The Guardian for the mention on her blog.

LAUREL

How Daphne might have felt
as she ran from the breathy Apollo
(before her skin was bark, her feet roots,
her arms boughs in wild semaphore,
her fingernails the bitter leaf
destined for a victor’s crown)
I felt in that nightmare of pursuit
one is always destined to wake from.

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