Camden New Journal - Letters: Poets

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published:9 August 2007

Poets and a cultural dream

• MY name is Anne Forest, a distant relative on my father’s side of one of the poets who lived at 8 Royal College Street, the only remaining testament to their stay in London.
Arthur Rimbaud may have actually spent 18 months in total in London.
To my surprise, Niall McDevitt (Save French poets’ home plea, July 19) had spread the news about my visit to this house via your newspaper.
I would like to say a big thank you to the people, whose passion for preserving the site, where Arthur Rimbaud lived with Paul Verlaine, and all other cultural assets in their area is particularly moving.
To them, and to me, seeing this property in such state is very upsetting.
My most sincere wish is to see it restored to the dignity it deserves, and that is now long overdue. A former resident of this building mentioned that people from all over the world came knocking at his door regularly, just like on a pilgrimage.
This shows how important it is to preserve this one and only surviving site where the poets resided in London. Opening a cultural centre there would attract much interest from residents, travellers, researchers and artists. I am totally supportive of all the campaigners, who I hope will make this cultural dream come true.
ANNE FOREST
Walthamstow, E17

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: