Free Verse Fair and giving back

This Saturday the Free Verse Fair opens its doors to publishers and poets to spend a day showing their wares and selling as many books as possible. Poets and poetry lovers will attend for a day of readings and poetry wallowing. I can't wait to catch up with a myriad of friends and have a thoroughly good time.

I am not reading myself as only one of my publishers, Eyewear, will be there and they have, quite rightly, chosen from among the more recently published of their stable to do their allotted reading. As I have a new book out next year, I shall cross my fingers for 2017. Still, I will enjoy the readings and the book buying and have set aside a tidy sum to support all those small presses who do so much for poets and poetry in the UK.

My contribution will be a few hours of helping out. I have volunteered to greet people on the door and hand out welcome packs, and relieve stall holders wanting a break. This is a small gesture to say thanks to the poetry gods for all the good things that have happened to me over the years that I have been involved in this precious art form. I look forward to meeting you as you arrive.