DEBUT OF A CHILDRENS' WRITER

Childrens' writer ANNIE HOLLAND  had her debut today with her second book 'Stella and the Queen from the Land of Snow' at Lingham's Bookshop, Heswall, Wirral. And a very successful morning it was too, happy audience of children for the reading and good book sales at the signing. Annie has also brought out several books on Kindle - find out more at Stella the Stork.co.uk

THE PORTICO LIBRARY POETRY PRIZE

The Portico library in Manchester was a real discovery; I'd been Commended in its Poetry Prize ( the Portico Prize, for fiction and non-fiction, is much more well-known) and decided I'd go to the awards evening. So glad I did. I've never had such a  warm welcome at an awards ceremony before; the three librarians treated each of us as if we were the most marvellous guest ever to enter their doors, and I mean marvellous,  not important; gave us cheery permission to explore the 2 high-ceilinged rooms that comprise the library, and generously plied us with wine and absolutely out of this world food. Such generosity! Between being enclosed by extremely tall stacks of brown-leather ledgers and impressive tomes ( this was where Roget of Thesaurus fame used to come and meet his fellows), the abundance of food, the warm hospitality of staff and competition judge Mandy Coe, it felt as if we were at Fezziwig's Christmas party in Dickens' "Christmas Carol"! Everyone circulated, the poets all met and signed each other's small anthology of the winning poems.

There is a wind clock on the far wall of the main library and a regular time clock opposite it : this was so that anyone with shipping interests could keep an eye on probable sailing times on the Ship Canal. I was very interested in this as my son's office is in what was the former ship's chronometer testing room at the Greenwich Observatory and recently I had a wonderful guided tour through the Observatory under my son's tuition.

To return to the Portico Poetry prize: this is only in its second year of running; Lynn, the Chair of the library, is keen for it to become much more established and has plans for excellent outside links and support. If you are a poet reading this watch out for it in future. I was very pleased to be featured in its list in its second year.

And if you're not keen on browsing wonderul old books on all manner of things Lancastrian and Mancunian, in the most cosy and comfortable reading room, then pop in for lunch there- you won't be disappointed. The Portico is on Mosley St, just beyond the Manchester Art Gallery. The entrance is just down the side street- ring the bell and enter a hidden Aladdin's cave of marvellous books and wonderfully friendly people.

STILL GOING STRONG AT 18! (My dog)

Asha, my lowchen bitch, is now 18 years old; she still manages reasonable walks, and although she sleeps a lot and is very thin now, is in amazingly good state for her grand burden of years!  She is called Asha since when I got her she reminded me of the ash-pan we used to take out from under the fire, glinting with gold and grey, and dark with half-used coal . Later I discovered Asha is a Hindi name for 'hope', very appropriate because she was the dog I acquired in my first year after horrible ovarian cancer -  without her and her need for (short) walks I would never have got any strength back into my body, I was so ill at the time. (You never do get back your previous strength and ability, but you have to start from where you are now and never look back).


She's not the only lowchen I've owned - my first was another bitch called Flossie, who came via Animal Rescue services and who was done out in the fashionable lion-dog clip (naked hindquarters, lion mane, and pom-pom feet and tail). My son took one look and swore never to be seen out with her! Flossie was the greatest, greediest scavenger I've ever known - after her first Christmas she went missing on bin day and was found, only just in time, rooting in a black bin bag for chicken carcass remains and narrowly avoided being flung into the refuse truck because my son (who by then was as in love with her as all the family were) noticed this binbag shivering, opened it, and recognised the shaved bottom of our new dog!

People often ask what breed Asha is, and frequently think she's a Schnauser because of her colouring, but the Schnauser is much more stocky than the lowchen. Lowchens are adorable, healthy, bright little dogs with a great sense of fun, and Asha has been one of my best dogs ever - so well-behaved and easy to look after.
Except when it comes to the camera- she's neurotically shy of it - and if this photo is a little bit blurry it's still one of the best, snapped quickly by my friend Janine Pinion on her mobile phone. All my own pics of Asha are of her rear end as she races off to her bed away from the camera!

I recognise that I may not have her for much longer now and thus this attempt to 'immortalise' her in this post.  I didn't get her from puppyhood, but after she'd been used for breeding. She was 5 years old when she came to me, and has been my companion now for 13 years. The kind of devoted, gentle dog you only know once in  a lifetime....

Beware of Men Who Buy You Red Silk Dresses

It has been in my wardrobe for some years; I used to wear it for happy occasions but have put a little more weight on recently and so it was just hanging unworn and uncherished. SO I took it to a dress agency where  a percentage of the money realised for good clothing goes to my favourite charity The Hospice of the Good Shepherd, Backford, Chester. It was a wrench to let it go and every time I opened my wardrobe I missed it. But happily it didn't sell! I could have donated it but decided instead to bring it home. Its silk feels wonderful to touch and even just holding it is a glorious sensation, whether or not I wear it again!

Its original arrival, however, was somewhat ill-starred; I had met a new man (not a "new man") and we went to dancing classes together which I really enjoyed; when we progressed to the Tango he bought this gorgeous dress for me; it was to be my 'Tango dress'.

Well, he tangoed off all too soon and I was left with the dress. But I don't regret that. The dress is a beautiful thing and I am happy to have it back in my hands again --- and if I made an effort it might be back on my person one of these days. I'll have to take up swimming ( oh, but I hate it - ploughing up and down in a dull pool-house with the same view over and over; on no, give me a walk in the woods any day!

This is the second time in my life a man has bought me a luxury piece of clothing - I don't know what that says about me. But both times all I'm left with is the clothing! I'm very tempted to think that giving clothing is a worrying sign...

SNAKESKIN

is a  poetry webzine which this month has a Poetry Book Fair, promoting the books of some of its regular contributors. My book "Rise" is featured as is Alison Brackenbury's excellent book "Then". (Short titles are in!). Also books by poets whom I don't know but who look well worth following up.

It's a very happy, user-friendly site, showcasing easy to read shorter poems and occasionally having a special edition of really short poems. George Simmers who runs the site seems a very affable person - I've never met him except through e-mail and he's so approachable that should you feel like taking the plunge and submitting, well, go ahead! There's an interesting upcoming edition called 'poetry comics', closing date Dec 1st.  I'll have to go back to the website in a moment to follow the links and find out what they are exactly.  (If it involves any kind of graphic work I'm sunk!)

Whenever I contribute to this webzine I think of time spent in Malaysia in 1996 and an encounter in the Batu caves outside KL with a reticulated python, a huge mottled brown and white snake that could easily squeeze the life out of me. The caves are a Hindu temple and are always swarming with Hindu visitors. The triple flight of steps that leads to the caves is always crowded with people. My daughter and I were leaving the caves, descending these steps, myself gazing about me as I usually do, attention not quite on what I'm doing when I thought "How odd, the staircase in front of me is nearly empty, that's nice." Then I looked and saw why: an enormous python was looping its way up the staircase I was on, heading towards me at considerable speed. I have never leapt a bannister so fast in my life! Everyone else had done so long before me - I only just avoided a close encounter with the creature. Wonder what would have happened if...?

All of that is a by-the-by of course. There's no danger lurking  in the Snakeskin poetry site, however, only a warm welcome.

Lastly this is my third post this week - I am so astonished!

PEONY MOON

I have three poems on Michelle McGrane's excellent site Peony moon. This month's issue is "Against rape" and features some powerful poems by such as Marge Piercy, Helen Moffet, Shazea Quraishi, Geoffrey Philips, Helen Ivory, and myself.

My own poems are taken from a forthcoming pamphlet "Philomela" which will be published by Happenstance Press, possibly in 2015, or maybe sooner, I haven't got a publication date yet. It is loosely based on the Greek myth of Philomela and Tereus (Tereus raped Philomela and cut out her tongue so she couldn't tell the story) but it is set in modern times. I was interested in the way rape victims are either silenced by fear and shame, or silenced by the way rape is handled publicly. Silenced by the police, by the courts, silenced sometimes by their own mothers, their families. It is a terrible experience, traumatic, scarring, very damaging to the sense of self almost to the extent of losing the self altogether unless helpful, empathetic action is offered and taken.

A great deal of media attention is being paid to the matter recently but are we any closer to making it a heinous crime? Is it ever going to be a relatively straightforward business for such a victim to voice his/her complaint and be taken seriously and listened to? Why should a young woman who is brave enough  to take a stand end up killing herself after the treatment she receives in the courts? Rape itself is a kind of killing; it's absolutely outrageous that taking it to court should end in another killing.

A POEM THAT STRIKES HOME

"Snow" by Louis MacNeice, "Hunger" by Jack Gilbert are, for me, very memorable poems. Reading and re-reading "Snow" got me through the shocking diagnosis and initial drastic treatment for ovarian cancer and I have written an article about this, published in Poetry News some years ago. "Hunger" marvellously expresses the need to dig deeper and deeper when writing a poem, in order to get "beyond the seeds". The poem can be found in the Bloodaxe anthology "Being Alive".