"There's poetry in business but no business in poetry"

Yesterday me and Josh got to meet ANOTHER poetry hero of ours, Mr. Lemn Sissay.

When I meet someone I admire I always approach them very formally, standing up straight, aligning my shirt and trousers and putting on a hat if I haven’t brushed my hair. I then extend my hand offering a firm handshake and a “love your work” compliment. On the inside I’m in deep reflection, thinking of the joy I’d experienced and the muses gathered from this particular persons work, I’ve ALWAYS got questions but I never ask them, besides, I was in Joshua’s presence, it’s hard not to be overshadowed. (Ray turns to Josh and screams “YOU OPPRESSOR!”)

Anyway, the event we’d attended yesterday was a very interesting open discussion about the economic vs sentimental value of literature hosted by the English Pen organisation.

The makeup of the panel speakers were poet in residence at the Southbank centre 'Lemm Sissay', director of literature for the Arts Council 'Antonia Byratt', Chief Executive of 'Poet In The City' 'Graham Henderson' (we salute you sir), CEO of penguin publishing 'John Makinson' and director of English pen, 'Jonathan Heawood'.

Much of the debate ran though the competition of funded and commercial arts, “We need to be as imaginative in our art as our economics” said Lemm as he went on to justify himself as a government funded artist “I buy time and create, it is the act of time and creation that I offer”

Graham Henderson is making some great moves for establishing poetry as a highly investable market, blaming only lack of publicity for poetry’s underground status. “If a good poet publishes a book and got commercial publicity it would sell just as well as any novel”

The recent banning of Ian Sinclair as an author also raised questions about the freedom a writer has when combining art with business but ironically Lemm said he felt he’d have more freedom as a government funded artist than a commercial one.

The current economic climate is obviously affecting the rate of authors getting published but England still manages to publish more writers than any other in the world.

The predicted future for literature involves a booming market for self publishers and e-books.

I’d like to include my own prediction of a definate larger interest in poetry.

To wrap this up, this was the first of two debates on this topic; do attend the second debate on Tuesday 6th October in the freeword centre.

FUN!