The first Thursday in October has been National Poetry Day since 1994; it was begun, and continues to be organised, by the Forward Arts Foundation. Tomorrow sees this year's celebration across the country; the theme for 2020 is "Vision", with a strap line of "See it like a poet!" Perhaps we're all seeing things a little differently just now, and many of the live events that were planned have been modified, moved on line or otherwise changed in nature but there's no doubt that both the written and spoken varieties of poetry will be much in evidence here, there and everywhere - wherever enthusiasts can take them. Look out for your local events.
A little ahead of the day, last Friday evening saw a great on-line launch for two collections by my friends and colleagues Derek Healy and Marilyn and Howard Timms. The evening was part of Cheltenham Poetry Festival's year round programme of events that has sprung up in the wake of Covid. It was very well attended, and well worth attending too. I've written before about Derek's second collection Home (Graffiti Books 2020) but it was a great pleasure to hear him reading from it; his poems are always thought provoking and not infrequently amusing too. Deciphering the Maze (Indigo Dreams 2020) explores Howard and Marilyn's early and shared lives, with very moving references to the cancers of which they are both survivors. It's another collection that rewards reading and rereading, with so much to it.
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