How I envy Gary Longden hearing Phil Brown reading from his newly-published first collection, ‘Il Avilit’ (Nine Arches), at Cheltenham Poetry Festival.
Having read an extract here, I purchased Brown’s Debut collection at States of Independence last month. I read it over two coffee stops, finding it a real page-turner. Two poems, in particular, made me smile: ‘Poetry Library’: ‘…the nepotistic quarterlies lining the walls/a paper network of favours/I will never be able to anything offer.’ and ‘On the way to Torriano’ – I love the audacious idea that performance giant Hegley might learn a thing or two from an eight year old boy, missing his gig into the bargain!
I very much hope that Brown will read at Leicester Shindig! in the near future.
Now re-reading…
