The Material Word

The open day at The Poetry Library in London earlier this month had 'The Material Word' as a theme. As part of the event, a selection of works that challenged the boundaries of poetry were on display.

10 Sentences by Ian Hamilton Finlay

Great cover design for A Valentine for Noel by Emmett Williams

M : Writings '67 - '72 by John Cage

(which eerily fell open at this page:

'We're in a confusion of / books. Bonfire?')

 From the Private Tutor series, invented by Simon Cutts and operational between 1967 and 1970. (Good news: the whole series will be digitally available on the Poetry Library's online magazines' website from 1 December 2014. See www.poetrymagazines.org.uk)

Thanks to poets and library staff Chris McCabe and Saradha Soobrayen for including How To Say 'I Love You' In Greenlandic in the display in both the fine press and small press editions. It was good to see visitors able to handle both works during the day.