Back to The Future



It’s my first full day here.  I’m back in London and nothing changes: The squash of
the tube,  the frown of the commuters, the wail of police sirens,  but the thames like time rolls beneath waterloo bridge with the confident reminder th at a  frown is a frozen wave and not how a wave should be.

It’s a reminder, The Thames,  that everything changes all of the time.  I arrive at The South Bank at 9.30am into The Riverside Rooms.  I have a great meeting with Vicky Long of Cape Farewell.   I’m trying to articulate the experience of my trip to the arctic for the first time since being there six months ago.

Come 10am  I meet  Subhathra  Subramaniam a contemporary dancer trained in the  Bharathanatyam form.  Subhathra was associate artist and Choreographer in residence at The Place Theatre from 2004, which is one of the centres for contemporary dance in
London.  We are about to embark on a project.  It’s working title: Shiver.  This is our first meeting though we both know of each others work. And it pleases me that Subhathra knows my friend Shobna. In fact the entire idea pleases me.

 At 1pm I meet the aptly named Astrid, a friend of Cape Farewel l and poet herself. We have some lunch together.   At 2pm I meet Martin Colthorpe head of programming for literature with Vicky Long to discuss the Capefarewell contribution to London Literature Festival.  Ideas are popping out all over the place.  The meeting ends at 3.30pm

Afterwards I promised to feedback to Martin on my Vancouver experience, the poets and the event.We conclude with a sparkling idea, suggested by Martin,  which I will share with you later as it comes to fruition.  The London Literature Festival is virtually upon us in terms of deadlines and everything seems to be in synch. Communications are good. Very Good. It’s good to be back.


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