Last Saturday I braved the downpour and headed up to Kings Cross for a special evening at SLAM - the launch of four Green Bottle Press pamphlets. I'll declare my bias at the outset.* I was there for one poet - Claire Booker - and this post is mostly about her pamphlet Later there will be …
Author: Hilaire
I am a writer of poetry and prose. I was born and brought up in Melbourne but have lived in London most of my adult life.
autumn makeover
Don't panic!* I've finally bitten the bullet and revamped the look of my blog. It's been on my mental 'to do' list for ages. My top 'want' was a larger and more readable font. I've gone for a similar layout and taken the opportunity to change the header image - something I may do more …
strung
On Wednesday afternoon I witnessed a thought-provoking performance, strung. It took place in the grounds of Bethlem Royal Hospital, and tied in with the opening of the Bethlem Gallery's Reclaiming Asylum exhibition. strung was devised by artists Jane Fradgley and Shane Waltener and performed by dancer Laura Glaser and sound artist Zoë Gilmour. A video …
farewell, unknown gardener
When did I first notice the magical little world contained in a front garden on Macduff Road? I can't remember exactly, but for years it's been one of my local landmarks, a spot I'll swing past on my way back from the park, wondering what's changed, stopping to gaze in childish delight. The front garden …
chaps
When I was growing up, my family referred to our soft toys as 'chaps'. As far as I'm aware, this is a family coinage, rather than a generally accepted term for teddies and other cuddly beings. I'm not, on the whole, nostalgic for my childhood, which says a lot more about me than about my …
in Time Out 20 years ago
Nicholas Royle wrote some lovely words about my writing in Time Out back in 1996, as part of a feature profiling four up-and-coming London writers. I'm still not there yet (wherever 'there' may be) but the support of people like Nicholas Royle is what keeps most writers (wherever they are) plugging away. My novel The …
Twenty-four hours in Ledbury
I overcame my PoFestPhobia and travelled up to Ledbury on Saturday for a brief taste of the largest poetry festival in the UK in this, its 20th year. And I have to report, it was a rather joyful experience! First stop after we arrived late morning: the Walled Garden, where we caught the tail end …
busy in a good way
There's not been much let up since my Thrive residency came to an end. On Sunday 26th June I travelled far north (for a south London gal) to perform at Finchley Literary Festival's closing event, the Poetry and Music Palooza hosted by Anna Meryt. The locals were friendly and it was a fun and uplifting evening, …
sharing poems in the park
So, I've done it. I can update my writing CV to say I was Poet in Residence at Thrive Battersea for the Open Garden Squares Weekend 2016. It's been a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience — both the run up to the weekend, spending time in the Herb Garden and the Old English Garden, sitting, …
Hilaire 