Successful launch of new book by Offa's Press at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, 19 Oct 2012

Books were flying off the sales table on Friday evening when the new anthology of environmental poetry was launched. It's great success for the editors, Nick Pearson and Jane Seabourne and, of course, for Simon Fletcher as well as the poets.   The entire box of books was sold and orders taken for others.

It's not just because my illustration is on the cover, but this book does look and feel good.  I love reading books on Kindle but this book does remind you of what you can miss if you don't also hold a real book in your hands!

There's a great range of poetry in the book - some with a scientificbotanical feel (Nadia Kingsley), humorous and insightful,(Emma Purshouse), futuristic and entertaining  (Brenda Read Brown), the haunting image of blossom and people you have known who always take their apron off before opening the door by Marion Cocklin, then there was the line by Amanda Attfield that had me nodding in agreement, 'don't give me 50 different kinds of everything, and more...and more...', or Romalyn Ante's unpredictable and striking juxtapositions...and the calm tanka where, '...silver fish flash' by D.A. Lovell.   That's not even half of them...I haven't read them all yet!

Poetry reading in the Gallery

Some of the contributors and one of the editors (Jane Seabourne)