@ Edinburgh International Book Festival, on Sat 22 Aug 2015 @ 14;15
Philip Larkin was an original and popular voice in poetry and it is thirty years since he passed away. His work is influential and has had a profound effect on the writing of poetry the world over. At the Edinburgh International Book Festival five contemporary poets (Tim Cockburn, A F Harrold, Helen Mort, Clare Pollard and Sam Riviere) are celebrating Larkin’s poetry during an event called Prolong The Talk. This event takes place on the final day of the Babble On strand at the festival, which looks to celebrate spoken word and performance poetry.
Prolong The Talk is introduced by Babble On co-organiser Luke Wright. He kicks things off by reminding us that Philip Larkin was not a performer and may not have been the best reader of his work, despite his skills as a writer. Wright does highlight the direct and engaging nature of Larkin’s poetry and how this appeals to poets who take to the stage to read their own work.
The first poet on stage is Clare Pollard who gives an entertaining reading of the Larkin poem ‘Lines on a Young Lady’s Photograph Album‘. Pollard then gives a reading of her own update of the same poem, entitled ‘Lines on a Young Lady’s Instagram Feed‘. This format continues throughout the event with the poets reading their favourite Larkin poems and then giving their own original and updated take on the source material. Tim Cockburn reads ‘Dockery and Son‘ while doing an Alan Bennet impersonation, while Helen Mort tackles the same text, but looking it as a means of presenting college and university reunions. Sam Riviere interprets the poem ‘High Windows‘ and A F Harold ends the event with a song, which imagines Larkin if he listened to more Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart.
The event was a fantastic celebration of Philip Larkin and his poetry. Each of the five diverse and exciting poets had their own style and take on Larkin. This resulted in a enjoyable and entertaining hour of poetry and a great way to spend the afternoon at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.