It’s tomorrow. TOMORROW? Eek! I have done all the preparation I can, now I just have to wait and see if anyone turns up. I had no idea a book launch could be so nerve-wracking, or is it wrecking? Or racking? Who cares?

My book of 60 poems, ‘Beyond the Green Bridge’, materialised earlier this year, before I won the Hennessy, and was as much about me getting my name out there as anything. Well, that worked a treat, and I had a first launch at Strokestown International Poetry Festival in May. I’m not sure that many people noticed – there were around 80 poets doing their thing over the course of that weekend, so I was easy to miss. But I was/am OK with that.

This time, it’s just me, at Boyle Arts Festival, introduced by Jane Clarke (and I’m not going to gush, everyone knows what a poetry star she is, and how lucky am I to nab her!).

If you are curious to know more, here’s a link to the event at Boyle Arts Festival. Come along, if you can, 4pm, Thursday July 26^th 2018 in King House, Boyle, County Roscommon. Free admission. I might need some folk to make up the numbers. You might even like to buy the book – it’s a snip at a tenner. And like they say in that ad, when they’re gone they’re gone. I’ve half a box left, and that’s the lot, there are no plans to print more.

Meanwhile, if you can’t come along to hear me waffling on about how I came to write ‘Fur Coat and No Knickers’, you may like to watch  a video instead. This is at  Coole Park, Lady Gregory’s place in County Galway made famous by her friend WB Yeats. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to do a reading in such a poetic location, so here I am, sandwiched between some proper poets who haven’t noticed an imposter in their midst… This Water Has Passion  (I’m at about 20:55, if you’re in a hurry. And ‘Fur Coat’ isn’t included, sorry.)

Now. Trepidation. That’s a good word, isn’t it? Sounds like there should be a poem in it.