And so it was that a bunch of poetry lovers gathered on a freezing and dark evening in the cosy poetry section of Borders to listen to three poets who have been published in Magma read their work. We sell Magma in many branches of Borders, but Charing Cross sell some of the largest numbers, so we were pleased to be invited to build on our relationship with them.
Clare Pollard, Alan Buckley and Linda Black each read and chatted. Clare has been connected with Magma for a long time and was first involved with the magazine when she was only seventeen and a rising star on the poetry scene. She talked about the excitement of being invited to the The Troubadour (where Bob Dylan had played!) so early in her career for the launch.
The readings at Borders were engrossing and varied, which is what we hope for from an event like that. We also heard from editors Tim Robertson and Laurie Smith, both of whom have edited the magazine. One of the great things about the evening was being able to briefly interview each reader before we got to the poetry, and allowed us to be a bit well … nosy, and to talk about the writing process.
Most of the immense tin of biscuits we had purchased for the poor beleaguered audience hotfoot from work were actually consumed by a small boy who sat there scoffing them as the readings went on. That’s one of the interesting things about organising an event in a public place like a bookshop, the audience a mixture of those who have come along specifically to hear the poets, and those who just happen to be passing. You never quite know what kind of an event it’s going to be, which fits in quite well with our own mission to create ‘the unexpected’.
Launches of Magma Poetry always have the feeling of An Occasion. The launch of 
