I picked up a copy of his first novel in Foyles last week while killing some time before attending a concert at the Royal Festival Hall, and I began reading it the next evening. I just loved it. The humour is just my thing. Brian (the name of the character in the book...how much is auto-biographical?) belongs to a book club, a poetry group, is divorced from his wife, has a 16 year old son and lives in a road next door to a rather crazy lady and a bunch of students. Brian's new years resolution is to write a poem a day. That last part rings bells with me! Reading this book made me feel less alone in the world of writing.
Brian is jealous of Toby Salt who has a book of poetry published - poetry Brian can make no head nor tail of. When Toby goes missing Brian becomes of interest to the police. This is an hilarious journey through Brian's year (he never finishes the book club read, he falters on his one-a-day poems and he belongs to the 27th Club with his brother-in-law, a club to take themselves out of their comfort zone listening to obscure live music - they are the only members).
The poetry is funny and worryingly (or maybe not) some is very like mine. He does things like writes a poem in the form of a spreadsheet. I wrote one in the form of a Sudoku puzzle. He writes alternative words to pop songs....er...yes, I've done that! I just felt I knew this man.
There is a love interest, but the socially awkward Brian gets it wrong so much. On the back cover of the novel the Sunday Telegraph describe the book as 'the midlife answer to Adrian Mole'. I'd agree, but I was peeved because I once described my humorous novel to an agent as a cross between Adrian Mole and the Rose Project only to be told Adrian Mole is in the past, you need something modern. Pff! See, what do these people know? Now I'm sounding like Brian!
I did a little research and found that Brian Bilston's book of poetry is published by Unbound, a crowdfunding publisher. I seem to have become a bit of Brian Bilston groupie, but reading his book has really cheered me up. Recommended! Go read it!
My own efforts of one-a-day poetry is going well. I'm coming to the end of week 40! Some days it is a struggle to find subject matter, which is why I was so pleased to read that Helen Cox has a free download of 100 poetry prompts. They came at the right time for me.
I had a final email from Live Canon which also perked me up. They were so encouraging about my poetry and said such lovely things. Sometimes us struggling poets need to hear those words. As I said to my friends, it sometimes feel like I'm swimming in a stagnant pool and no one wants to fish me out.
The ghost story I wrote over Christmas was sent out and rejected within weeks, but I have submitted a few poems and I wait to hear on them. Meanwhile because my story output is about nil and I have no desire for them at the moment, yet I miss writing about something, I have finally taken WordPress by the horns to begin a new blog about my travels around London and beyond. Admittedly the horns were goring, and there was much hair pulling and Googling, until I finally realised that Gutenberg is the new Classic (the older style dashboard I was used to). I've stuck with it and now have a handful of posts and photos up there. This is filling writing need and draws on my love of being a tourist in my own country. I've even mastered (with a great deal of Googling) the art of wrapping text around a photo. I'm so proud of myself. It's not perfect, but this is for pleasure - mine, and hopefully my readers! Should you want to take a peak you'll find it here.
I shall now end as I started, with a tip of my hat to Brian Bilston and sharing with you this remarkable poem (!) I wrote this morning about a subject me and my veggie/vegan friends get rather annoyed about. If you are a veggie/vegan you will understand. If you are not, take note! (The poem still needs work!!!)
Plant Based Woe
The veggie section is always small
at parties and functions and barbecues,
yet meat eaters go and scoff it all
by the time we reach the front of the queue.
Why do they do that? It's not only me
who complains at the way they think it's their right
to eat pork pies and then if you please
the crudities, without a care for our plight.
I take my box of handmade delights
just to be sure my hunger is sated,
but they still crave my goodies, my bites,
as alternative cheese sandwiches are plated.
Oh no, I couldn't do without my meat,
they cry, snatching the last veggie spring roll,
so stick to your meat carnivores, hand off our treats,
and leave us the plain crisps in the bowl.
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