Performed my eco-poetry at the Green Party conference in London yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. As well as performing poems from Creatures of the Intertidal Zone, I tried out quite a few new poems and it was great to receive positive feedback. It was also a real privilege to have the opportunity to share my work at such an event and in front of such a knowledgeable audience.
I spent most of the afternoon prior to my reading absorbing the conference atmosphere – browsing exhibitors’ stalls, chatting about animal welfare and climate change, and signing petitions. There was a real buzz in the air, especially surrounding the election of Caroline Lucas as Party Leader. I felt quite invigorated on the train home to Cardiff, in spite of it being well past midnight by the time I eventually got here.
This was the first of six readings that I’ve got lined up over the next ten days. Hope to blog about them all!
Antoine – absolutely! I heartily endorse all your comments! I was grateful to get some feedback after my reading on Wednesday, along the lines that I’d given members of the audience ‘an ecological poke’, which they seemed to welcome… I intend to try to do that at every reading 🙂
Thank you for writing it! 🙂
I say this as both a reader and as someone sensitive to the damage that our materialistic way of life is doing to the planet. Poetry is often accused of being an “impractical practice” in that it is useless and does not lead to direct action on a socio-political scale. But poetry essentially works on conscience – the fact that a well-written poem sets one thinking (and especially feeling) is already a major step in the direction we all need to pursue.
In this sense, I think one of the major breakthroughs that eco-poetry has brought with it is the furthering of the planetary consciousness necessary for humanity to save itself from its greed. The glaciers of Greenland, the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, the sinking islands of the Pacific, the last European primeval forest bordering Poland and Belarus, and the plastic whirlpool floating above Hawaii are all just as much my home as the suburban house I happen to be living in – this is the way we should all be looking at the earth. Whitman said it over a century ago, poets today need to repeat it as much as possible, in the hope that the message gets through!!
Thanks again and all the best,
Antoine.
Hi Antoine,
Yes, I opened with the melting penguin! It’s a fun poem to perform. Thank you for enjoying it.
Did you read the melting penguin poem? I really like that one.
Thanks to you all for the good wishes 🙂
Poetry and politics – I bet you were a breath of fresh air to the proceedings.
Hope the rest of the readings go well
This is terrific, and such great exposure for you. Good luck with it all!
Oh great to see the Green Party having poetry at their conferences!
Good luck with the rest of the readings, sounds like this one was a good start to the series!