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Jamie, six, Theo, five, and Ray, three, with a haul of books at St Mary’s Brookfield Church hall |
Write on! Books day boosts school
New Journal’s special literature event helps raise funds for pupils’ magazine project
THE new poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy must ensure she finds time to write from the heart and not just when a national event prompts her, critic, author and poker fanatic Al Alvarez implored at the New Journal’s first books and authors day on Saturday.
Mr Alvarez was joined by the poet Dannie Abse at In Writing..., a day to raise cash for Brookfield Primary School’s magazine project.
The pupils at the Highgate Newtown school have been working with teachers and parent volunteers to produce a bumper end-of-term magazine, featuring contributions by every child on the school roll.
Speaking at the event in St Mary’s Brookfield Church hall in York Rise, Dartmouth Park, Mr Abse told the stories behind his latest poetry collection which celebrates 60 years of publishing at Hutchinsons, while Mr Alvarez discussed the challenges facing the new poet laureate and why poker should become an Olympic sport.
“Carol shouldn’t write just for the big events,” said Mr Alvarez.
“The problem facing a poet laureate is they have to write for occasions, and that is just not how poetry works. Far better for Carol to write when the need takes her instead of having to trundle out lines for headline events.”
Mr Alvarez, who was the poetry editor for the Observer between 1956 and 1966, revealed that he had first been drawn to poker as a young man going through a tight spot.
“I was going through a messy divorce and was looking for something to boost my self-esteem,” he told the audience.
“I was young and I was flash. I loved all things American, I wanted to be a cowboy in the Wild West – but as a short Jewish bloke with a funny surname, it’s not really possible to morph in to the heroes I watched in Westerns. Playing poker seemed to bring some of that
American glamour to me and I quickly fell in love with the game.
“There is a campaign led by my friend Tony Holden to get poker down as an Olympic sport,” added Mr Alvarez. “It’s not a bad idea.”
Mr Abse then read from his new selected poetry anthology and explained how his career had been inspired by the many different interests he had followed throughout his life: from his work as a doctor to his love for Cardiff City football club, his wife Joan, to the left-wing politics of the South Wales area where he was brought up.
“When I was young, my older brother Leo [who would go on to become a successful Labour backbencher for 30 years] would speak to me endlessly about politics,” he said.
“You cannot help but be influenced by the situation you find yourself in during that period, with the Spanish Civil War taking people away from our towns and cities. It inevitably came out in my writing.”
Mr Abse also had the audience in stitches of laughter when he recited the story of a poetry reading during which he had been incorrectly introduced as a “Mr Abs” – his name Abse is pronounced Absy. He said: “The Welsh presenter with me kept called me ‘Mr Abs’, and at the end I mentioned to him he should call me ‘Abse’. To which he replied: ‘that’s very nice of you boyo, and you may call me Jonesy’.”
Other speakers included Travis Elborough, who told the story behind the rise and demise of the Routemaster bus, historian Peter Richards, who presented his wartime memoirs, Bombs, Bullshit and Bullets, and poet Salena Godden. Freelance journalist and novelist Mark Piggott helped interview the guests and, as well as speakers, sales of books and cakes baked by parents, brought in around £600 for the school’s magazine fund. |
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