After a dry, dry summer here in Montalcino, the drought continues. Beautiful turning leaves in orchards and vineyards, but still hardly any rain.
This mornng I'm at my desk, writing a review for London Grip of this lovely poetry pamphlet by Maria M McCarthy: 'There are Boats on the Orchard'. It's bringing the vanishing orchards of Kent into this Italian room, and i love it that it is also quietly promoting the work of the Kent Orchards for Everyone project to save and restore orchards in Kent and farther afield. Another small book to celebrate, with its subtle ironies and delicate line drawings by Sara Fletcher. Well worth seeking it out, I think; available at Cultured llama.

Not really! I got on the number 13 and went to the last two days of wonderful Swindon Poetry Festival. And wished I'd been there for more. I loved the Battered Moons prize-winning poems - stand-outs for me were the first prize poem 'If I Say, Flower' by Louise Grieg and Rachel Davies' irresistible commended woodlouse tribute, 'Chiggy Pig' (I've always been a huge woodlouse fan). I mean a very big fan, not a fan of huge woodlice. Although now I think of it... You can go to the linked site to read these two and other great winning poems.
This is me enjoying my first-ever festival performance, encouraged by the warm and responsive Swindon audience. Thanks to Cinnamon Press, I now have a cinnamon-red book to flick through with seeming nonchalance and read from in proper professional poet style.  It was great going first in the set, so I could relax, calm down my blood-pressure, and listen properly to the amazing, brave and beautiful lines that came next from Daniel Sluman, followed by Julia Webb's darkly magical Bird Sisters.

Swindon's a very special place to perform your poems. Most of it happens inside the now-legendary Tent Palace of the Delicious Air. In addition to the starry night you can see here, the tent stretches back into an area with the audience lolling on cushions, Arabian desert-tent-style, or seated on chairs between walls with mandala-like panels, making it feel both intimate and limitless. And then there's Richard Jefferies, the Swindon naturalist who is celebrated at the museum where all this happens (he's the attentive little figure under the  reading stand). I hope he liked my tree poems!

Walking from the number 8 bus stop to Conway Hall, I made myself a promise: this time I won't buy more books than I can hope to read in the next few months. Some hope!
But still, it was hard to choose... however,  these are books I picked up from some of my favourites among the vibrant crowd of poetry presses at this year's fair, including my own publisher, sparky Cinnamon Press from Wales. I looked for poets I like or have read good things about and have been meaning to read, then found myself drawn to books with an interesting format, a well-chosen or spacious typeface, or even a pleasing shape. These are from: Rack Press, Paekakariki, Nine Arches, Emma Press, Cinnamon, and Herules Editions.  
It's an event I look forward to, with free talks and readings (I happened upon  a wonderfully entertaining set from Amy Deakin, Nick Eisen, George Harris, Rick Dove and Susan Evans, of William Cornelius Harris Publishing), and plenty more besides. Where else could you walk into a free day full of poetry people, poetry  news, poetry books, workshops, and readings next to the Café on the Green in the little park nearby? OK, I admit there was no candyfloss, but they did provide a sublime veggie wrap and a great cup of coffee too. Now all I have to do it to get down to some careful reading as autumn sets in.