Wigtown Weekend

I'm back from an interesting weekend away in Scotland in Wigtown. If you ever happen to find yourself in this part of the world, you couldn't do better than the warmth and comfort of Brora Lodge, a family run B&B, where nothing is too much trouble and their breakfast is simply the yummiest out.

After a long journey on Friday, Saturday proved to be really sunny: all the visiting poets brought good weather with them. The awards took place in the main hall in Wigtown, and all us prizewinners were pleased to be given a few words by Douglas Dunn, the judge, about how he chose the poems. Quite simply, he picked the ones that he liked best: that were original and that appealed to things he knew in an unusual manner. Douglas spoke of the judging process requiring "monastic conditions" (solitude and a helpful dram) to get through, but that it was an enjoyable honour to read all these poems.

Then, we were all asked to read our poems, in reverse order, as well as the Gaelic winner. Afterwards we were invited to join everyone for a celebratory Angus beef dinner, at the Writer's Retreat, with Alistair Reid, the translator and poet, and all prizewinners, judges and organisers. I felt so honoured to be in such great and illustrious company and I was minded to distraction all weekend by the good folk of the Wigtown festival: Davie, Adrian, Catherine, Ann... I'm sure I've missed someone!

I also had the great pleasure of chatting to the Gaelic winner, Tormad Caimbeul and his beautiful daughter, Catriona, about the pleasures and difficulties of writing in their wonderful language, as well as the similarities to Irish. The craic was mighty, as they say here in Ireland, and it was a great weekend away.

A wee hey-out to Jim, Mora, Rob, Victor, Tormad and Caitriona - so good to meet you all, may you go on to even greater heights.

April gives way to May

Here we are at the end of this month already. I've been so busy doing odds & ends that I've practically missed the days whizzing by.

On Friday I'm heading to Scotland to bed down in Wigtown in preparation for the presentation on Saturday, at 12.30pm. The presentation will include addresses by Douglas Dunn and Kevin McNeil on how they went about the onerous task of choosing their winners. Then us winners will read our winning poems... and the rest I'm sure will be great. I'm nervous, but I'm looking forward to it... even got meself some new shoes - it's a woman thing :)

In the meantime I'm busy running admin errands for the launch of Drogheda Writes 2, the anthology that I've been busy editing for the last three months. Some interesting statistics: 50 contributors, 81 pieces of work - that all adds up to a lot of words: 35, 486 to be precise. And only 193 of them are mine.

The launch happens on Monday 11th May @ 8pm in The Venue, McHughs, Chord Road, Drogheda, for anyone local who wants to come and see what it's all about. Copies will be on sale for €10 on the night, and afterwards will be available for €12.

More soon about the lovely chapbooks that I received this morning from Throgmortons Bookshop in Warwick: 'On Warwick,' by Jane Holland, 'The Terrors, by Tom Chivers, 'Lady Godiva and Me,' by Liam Guilar and two back copies of 'Under the Radar.' All published by Nine Arches Press - and they look very readable. Guess what I'm bringing to Scotland.

Announcing: Wigtown Poetry Competition

I didn't think winning the Annie Deeny Prize this year could be topped, but a phone call on Tuesday persuaded me otherwise: 2nd prize in Scotland's biggest poetry competition, the Wigtown! I'm sure the caller thought I was a bit daft, as I really wasn't taking in what he was saying to me. It took a few goes :)

I've been walking on air ever since - getting that far up in a competition of that calibre is a Pretty Big Deal to me. I believe the entries are sift-read first, so to even get through to be read by Douglas Dunn was an achievement... but then to go on to be placed!

I keep thinking it's some sort of mad dream ... and then I remember it is true. It augurs very well for this proposed second collection that I am working on and just shows, if you keep on battering on the doors of these things, who knows what might happen?

I'm looking forward to attending the presentation on Saturday 2nd May, as well as seeing a part of Scotland that I might not have got to see before, as well as meeting the other prize winners.

Meantime, you can read the winners here.