Killing time in the precinct, I find a copy of one of my early volumes in a dump-bin on the pavement outside the charity shop. The price is 10p. It is a signed copy. Under the signature, in my own handwriting, are the words, "To mum and dad".
Simon ArmitageAnd wonder, dread and war have lingered in that land where loss and love in turn have held the upper hand.
Simon ArmitageItโs never going to be very mainstream. One reason is that poetry requires concentration, both on the part of the writer and the reader. But itโs kind of unkillable, poetry. Itโs our most ancient artform and I think itโs more relevant today than ever, because itโs one person saying what they really believe.
Simon Armitage