At the end of June, I drove to the beautiful town of Ledbury for the annual poetry festival. Jackie Kay‘s poetry reading was funny, heart warming and ‘got you in the throat’. Kay’s beautiful Scottish accent added to the depth and rhythm of the words on the page. Her collection Darling includes new and selected poems ranging from her 1991 Adoption Papers collection, through to her new poems, including the title poem. Since the brilliant Ledbury Festival, I have revisited Kay’s collection many times. This month, I couldn’t help but return to Kay’s wit, honesty and skill.
Jo Bell‘s closing speech at the end of the National Writer’s Conference was a call for writers to be courageous. She encouraged us to try, to apply, to ask. Not only did listening to Bell’s brilliant speech and her ‘Performing Poetry’ workshop inspire me as a writer, reading her work is inspiring too. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction or just enjoy reading, Kith is another brilliant collection to buy this month.