I just wrote the following on William Gallagher’s Facebook post – I am feeling so elated and rather evangelical and so just had to share with you all. Nadia x
Back story…
William had written a post yesterday to say that he had chatted with Jonathan Davidson – author (poet) of Humfrey Coningsby (Valley Press), Early Train (Smith/Doorstop), Eric Gregory award winner, Radio 4 playwright, etc etc etc the day before and Jonathan hadn’t mentioned he was doing a gig the next night. William only found out about it because I wrote a post (I do love Facebook..) but was already committed elsewhere so couldn’t come. The event was at Cathy Knapp’s Mid Wales Arts Centre… a bit of a well kept secret which is a magical place full of sculpture art music and joy (and workshops)
In hindsight – a perfect match for Jonathan Davidson who despite having read in front of an audience of a thousand in Nicaragua, and who is extraordinarily respected throughout the Poetry World (certainly Poetry England) is mostly known as being the director of Writing West Midlands – and his tireless work to help us other writers, in all genres.
He did, as the Jane Dards’ poetry evening routinely offers their guest poet, 2 sets. The first was fab. Proper seriously well written poetry that was music to the ears and fed the soul. The second set was Humfrey Coningsby.
I blogged about Humf when I read the book a year ago
I have read it several times since
Here is my Facebook post I sent moments ago…
Wow. I mean WOW !!!! am I starting to sound like William Gallagher? William – I think Jonathan Davidson ‘s poems and Humfrey Coningsby was the best thing I’ve ever seen? Is that possible ? Well it had to happen one day.. Like the time I had a creme brulee and every creme brulee since has been measured up against it and found wanting; I think Jonathan may have just ruined every future poetry or any kind of event I go to as they will never quite match… People just couldn’t stop clapping, I heard ‘ astonishing’ and ‘ beautiful’ slipping out of people’s mouths, and my own, with shared snatched glances of wonder throughout his Humf. Oh William ! Oh everyone who wasn’t there ! Thank you Jane Dards, Cathy and John, Mid Wales Arts Centre, Deborah Alma, Pat Edwards Gerald Wild James Sheard Steve Harrison and everyone else for being in the room, for otherwise I’d have thought I’d dreamt that !
Two others have already declared the exact same reaction. I think I may be on Facebook all day…
Thank you Jonathan Davidson
I urge you to see him, book him, read him… I just wish he’d let me publish him !!
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