Information Scotland

The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland

October 2008 Volume 6(5)

Endpiece

The conversation continues

Colin Will says goodbye to Information Scotland readers – catch up with him on his blog.

What do you put in a valedictory column? Do I say all the things I wanted to say before but didn’t dare? Not really my bag, dude. Do I review all the subjects I’ve discussed here in the past? That would risk being firmly labelled with the BOF tag. Do I select some career and post-career highlights? Nah, too much hard thinking involved. Instead I’ll just do what I usually do, which is to talk about some of my current preoccupations and recent activities.

Let’s start with Lithuania. The poetry festival was held in Utena, in the north-east of the country. It’s a beautiful rural part of a country I hadn’t seen before, and the hospitality was wonderful. Apart from several Lithuanians, the poets were from Latvia, Russia, Georgia, Australia, USA and Scotland (Eleanor Livingstone and I). It’s quite poignant to reflect on the friendly relations between the Russians and the Georgians at that time, and to be grateful that poetry transcends the seemingly intractable issues of nationality and territory.

We gave readings in six different venues in the region. At each place, the audiences were large and very appreciative. It was fantastic to see, at one open-air reading, the Saltire flying next to the George crosses of Georgia, and the red white and blue of Russia. Poetry is an essential and highly regarded part of the national culture, and indeed the Lithuanian Culture Minister, who read at one venue, is himself a distinguished poet. I’m tempted to contrast this with Scotland, and to wonder how many Scottish Culture Ministers have any knowledge of, or interest in, contemporary poetry? As I recall, the majority seem to have been more involved with sport.

But I digress. The countryside around Utena is typical of previously glaciated terrain, gently undulating, with woodland clearings where cows are tethered singly, and where storks stalk frogs among the meadow flowers. Lakes fill many of the glacial hollows, and it’s a paradise for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts. Beautiful, but the economic realities are that the country has lost a large proportion of its working age population to economic migration, and I wonder how many of them will return. What will they return to? Lithuania is an enthusiastic member of the EU, and they will undoubtedly prosper, but it could take time.

The library in Utena, where we gave our final reading, is large and very modern, indeed it’s the envy of many from other Lithuanian cities. The Festival organiser, Vida Garunkstyte, is the Regional Librarian, and she is very proud of her city and its fine library.

As a footnote, Eleanor and I were so impressed by the poetry of our translator, Sonata Paliulyte, that she’s been invited to take part in next year’s StAnza Festival in St Andrews.

The pace of life seems to be increasing as I get older. I am trying to reduce my committee work, but it seems that every time I step down from one organisation, another one asks me to join. Some day I will definitely learn to say NO.

One activity which is also increasing is my publishing work. I started Calder Wood Press some years ago, when I lived near Calder Wood Country Park, but it’s only in the last few years that it has really taken off. I specialise in publishing poetry chapbooks, with four titles in 2007, six scheduled for 2008, and eight in 2009. I didn’t plan to grow in this way, it just sort of happened. This sort of publishing is mostly about people, about becoming committed to publishing work I like by poets I already know. It’s a world away from commercial publishing, and it’s hugely satisfying. Starting with choosing the poets, I usually ask for MS of around 40 poems, which I’ll whittle down to between 25 and 30 for a standard A5 pamphlet of 36pp or less. The selection is always agreed with the poet. Then I’ll put them in a sequence, and finally I’ll design the book. I try to match typography to the poetry, using a font like Century Schoolbook for some books, while Arial works with poetry which is sparing and unadorned. The cover design is crucial, as that’s what makes potential buyers pick up the book in the first place. I’ve been very lucky so far, working with authors who have a well-developed visual sense. The authors are also expected to become involved in promoting and selling their own work. I’m a one-man-band, with no subsidy or additional funding, so I couldn’t do it any other way.

Of course, sales to libraries are important, particularly in getting local authors more widely known within their own communities, but the bulk of sales are to individuals, especially at readings. As I’ve said before, it would be nice if more libraries bought more poetry. Check out the Scottish Pamphlet Poetry website to see what’s currently available.

Speaking of which, I’m not long back from the big garden party which is the Callander Poetry Weekend. The event, organised by Poetry Scotland, has become a highlight of my autumn calendar. This year more than 50 poets read, a record, and the events included readings, performance poetry, poetry and jazz, and discussions. My friend Larry Butler and I held a session on poetry and gardens, combining two of my great loves.

Well, that’s yer lot, as a 1950s comedian whose name I have forgotten used to say. If you bump into me in future, be sure to say hello – I enjoy a natter about the Good Old Days, or anything else really. The conversation continues on my blog (Sunny Dunny). Thanks for having me.
Colin Will

Information Scotland Vol. 6(5) October 2008

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Last updated: 16-Jan-2009