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Finding new homes

jeremy Page reading at Needlewriters
Jeremy Page reading at Needlewriters

I’m currently in the middle of what the meedja likes to tell us is one of life’s most stressful times – moving house. I’ve managed to weather the others (divorce, bereavement, being fired, Liverpool failing to win their 10th championship in 1978 etc) so it shouldn’t be that bad. Also, I am lucky enough to have a husband to share the experience with. The idea of relocating to another town, albeit in the same county, is exciting, and is making me think a lot about what ‘home’ means, and the process of finding and building a new home after being thirteen years in the same place (easily the longest I’ve lived anywhere).

One of the things I know I will miss is Lewes’s literary scene – I’ve been warned it isn’t quite the same where we’re going, but I guess the answer is to do something about that! Last night it was the quarterly Needlewriters meeting, with poets Jeremy Page and Judith Cair reading, and it reminded me what a privilege it is to live a couple of minutes away. A poet friend was telling about how much she enjoys workshops with Mimi Khalvati, who comes regularly to Lewes, and how wonderful it was to have a poet of her standing coming here, to us. Mark Hewitt’s Lewes Live Lit stages all kinds of workshops and events in the town. And then of course there’s Telltale Press, a Lewes-based project if ever there was one… I can’t take it with me!

It’s still early days and anything could happen, but we’ve found our ideal home and are hoping it will actually be our home within a few months.

And speaking of homes … (crass segue alert) … despite another rejection from Lighthouse this week (boo!), homes have been found for 2 new poems at Brittle Star who are taking one for issue 36 and another for issue 37. And co-editor Martin Parker has invited me to read at the launch of 36 in London in May. Big hurrahs all round!

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  1. I like what you say about “doing something about it” where you live. I’ve been thinking about this recently, as the poetry in Trowbridge is…… er, isn’t. There is a very good reading series in the next town – Bradford on Avon – where you’ll be appearing soon, I think, Robin! I’ll have more time to make plans next month. I don’t want to overstretch myself, though, but I am thinking of starting a reading series or getting a Poetry Society Stanza going. Anyway, I’ll enjoy reading about the next phase in your life. Thanks for keeping us posted, commiserations for the rejection but terrific news about the acceptances.:-)

  2. Hi Josephine, yes it’s easy to overstretch … lots of changes in your life too – exciting! Thank you for the encouragement, it’s nice to get the odd bit of good news among the slightly miffing stuff, isn’t it? Take care, hope your cold goes soon 🙂

  3. Congrats on the Brittle Star acceptances! Joolz Sparkes and I have two of our London Undercurrents poems accepted for issue 36 too, and will be reading at the launch, so will see you there!

  4. Thanks Hilaire – great stuff, well done! Look forward to seeing you then and hearing your poems 🙂

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Robin Houghton 2021