Tonight was Patience Agbabi’s book launch of Bloodshot Monochrome  at The South Bank. The event is part of my artist in residence programme.  Dave Haslam was the Dj and the poets were Salena Godden Rommi Smith and Patience Agbabi in the Blue Room.  John Berkavitch, Julian Daniel and David J in the Gamalan Room. The  venue was The Spirit Level at The South Bank. There were a lot of poets in the audience.  The Blue Room sold out and The Gamalan room was seventy percent full. I knwo why this happened and it is not a reflection of on the popularity of the poets. 

Salena Godden is one of the most exciting, but ignored, artists of the literature scene.  No matter the ignored part,   her output is prolific in various guises; through  music she is part of Saltpetre and in memoir she is to be published by Harper Collins in her book Springfield Road.  Salena is a tour de force.  Her reading was immaculate, witty, crafted punk and  ignorant of the petty  poses  that are perfected by the style merchants of what is apparently a scene. Rather than perfecting a style Salena is style. Like most artists of note – there is noone like her . All the better that she is a  fan of Patti Smith, having met her various times.