I Won Green Linden Press's Wishing Jewel Prize

 

Yeah. I won! 

Look here for more info.

Apart from patting myself on the back, I also want to congratulate Green Linden Press, not so much for the jury's display of superb taste (ha-ha!) but their willingness to step way beyond the normal boundaries of poetry by awarding me the prize. After all, despite the genre I work in being Visual Poetry most will struggle to tally it with 'poetry' as they know it.  In awarding me the prize, they'll probably baffle and potentially annoy other poets, some of whom will have submitted their work for the competition. 'That's not poetry!'. Never mind.

Once upon a time (around when the 70s became the 80s) I did write 'normal' poetry - well it rhymed anyway. I shared a bill with Linton Kwesi Johnson...but he didn't show up, fearing that he would be upstaged by me, obviously. That appearance aside, I also took to another stage and paid homage to Kerouac with my own haikus (by which I mean his inspired mine, not that he invented them, which as you know, he didn't). Backing me was a drummer and saxophonist, playing 'free', as opposed to bluesy beatnik boho cellar club style. I have it on tape and would only 'release' it by hitting the big red button should I feel under dire threat or simply aggrieved at the way the world treats me.

You Would Say That will be published in June but the cover (above) has been finalised. You can pre-order now on the page to ensure getting a copy. It contains some of my best visual poetry which, in book-form, will be far more satisfying than always seeing it on a screen. Yes, I would say that.