Grace and Seamus

It isn't every day that one shares a changing room with a poet one hugely admires, who has written some of the greatest poetry of the last century (and possibly this one; there's still time). the event was a celebration, reading and discussion of the famous Swedish poet, Tomas Tranströmer. Apart from being asked to photograph the event, I was honoured to be invited to read a poem, along with Seamus and Grace Wells (pictured), and other distinguished poets such as Tess Gallagher and Ilya Kaminisky.

I've met Seamus Heaney from time to time at various readings, so he knows me to see. As I said when he walked into the room, 'this is my other incarnation.' He was gracious as always (as was Grace and everyone else). Very enjoyable people to photograph, poets. The reading went well I think. I chose the first poem by Transtromer that I remember coming across, in the wonderful old Rattle Bag anthology, edited, as it happens, by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes. It's called Breathing Space, July and its translated by Robert Bly.

Difficult to juggle, reading and taking photos of the poets reading. I felt like an octopus with seven numb tentacles.