Emergency Verse at South Bank

I was unable to attend and read my poem at the recent standing room only launch of the printed edition of Emergency Verse at London's South Bank Centre. The event appears to have passed off most successfully.

There were more than twenty poets including Michael Horowitz, Jeremy Reed and Brenda Williams (no relation) on hand to read their allotted three minutes of poetry in defence of the welfare state. Sales of the emergency anthology went well. There is now talk of a reprint.

I already have a contributor's electronic edition of Emergency Verse but there's nothing like having the real thing in your hands. And so it is with great eagerness that I look forward to receiving the published copy.

Alan Morrison has worked like a proverbial Trojan to get this 368-page illustrated book featuring poetry from more than 120 poets into the public domain. You can follow progress of the whole Emergency Verse saga and order a printed copy via the Emergency Verse page at the Recusant (see A-Z LINKS >>>).

A reporter from The Guardian was spotted at the event; so something worth reading may appear there. Review copies are already winging their way to the usual suspects.

My humble contribution to Emergency Verse is my poem Between port and cigars. I am pleased to have played a small part in this important enterprise. My thanks, and maybe one day the thanks of a nation, to those involved behind the scenes and of course to editor and instigator Alan Morrison.

Gwilym Williams