SoPo

Reading last night at SoPo, which is actually the PR company Elmwood in Carlisle Street. Clean airy space and soon very full, almost wholly - and very pleasingly - with under forties. Laura Forman who arranges the events does the introductions. First up Nathan Penlington, part magician, part stand-up comic, part performance poet doing a mixed act of all three. He gets around quite a lot and is very practiced so his 20 minute slot is full of variety. A nice thing with large cards with diary notes / poems on them. Then Emily Berry - stern, almost unblinkingly military, the poems just as disciplined, very strong clear work. Then brief break and I go on and that does fine.

All this plus drinks and fancy nibbles. Gary McKeone is there and some old students: Sally and Ben and James and Catherine. Outside it is pouring. We stop at the Nellie Dean for a drink and talk then a taxi back to H and R's, where pizza is quickly heated up and we look at the wedding photos as well as R's new apocalypse book. Now the morning. To ICA and to meet Tom.

Might slot in pictures later.

eg now.




Not this audience but a previous one (*the lower picture is Colette Bryce). Ours was like this (ambience etc) but different. In fact possibly even fuller. Pictures from SoPo website, this part.