Historic Recording for Oxfam

On Friday, February 24, the largest single gathering of famous and popular British and Irish poets for one recording session occured - with readings for an Oxfam CD, and a Talking Book for the blind. The event was conceived and planned by me, with the support of Martin Penny and Su Lycett of Oxfam, and help on the day from New York writer Thaddeus Rutkowski.

The day was mostly a huge success - from mad-genius John Hegley (pictured here) bringing along his tuba-playing partner, to legends Al Alvarez, Dannie Abse and Alan Brownjohn reuniting after decades, to young rising stars like Nick Laird, Owen Sheers, Annie Freud and Patience Agbabi performing their fresh new work.

The assembled poets agreed it was the most impressive single gathering of poets in one room for a recording in British poetry's history.

The 52 poets in attendance - including Wendy Cope, George Szirtes, Pam Ayres, Eric Ormsby, Jo Shapcott, Jamie McKendrick, Helen Farish, David Harsent, Sophie Hannah, Alan Jenkins, and many many more - who came from across the UK, and some as far as Italy and Galway for the day, spilled out into the usually quiet, calm halls of the Royal National Institute for the Blind's Camden Talking Books state-of-the-art recording studio, and recorded over 100 poems in a frenzied marathon between 10 am-5 pm, in two very busy studios.

One engineer, Dale, said it "was mad" to bring so many talents in on one day. Poet Laureate Andrew Motion read his masterpiece on visiting Anne Frank's House, and Mario Petrucci read a new poem written especially for the day.

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