Well, as far as I’m concerned it does. In poetry circles the word ‘Olympics’ is irrevocably associated with Michael Horovitz, who has been staging his Poetry Olympics events since 1959 – most famously the International Poetry Incarnation in 1965, when he and Allen Ginsberg filled the entire Royal Albert Hall and put on a massive poetry spectacular. (The film of this event, Peter Whitehead’s Wholly Communion, is required viewing; it used to be on YouTube but has been reissued by the BFI, and if anyone has a spare copy I’ll happily take delivery of it.) I mean, there were just over 2,000 people at this year’s TS Eliot reading in the Royal Festival Hall, which is tremendous. But the Royal Albert Hall holds over 5,000 and on that day in May 1965 it was packed out.
That was 53 Poetry Olympics ago. ‘Torchbearer’ Michael Horovitz is nothing if not a busy man.
This week’s event is an Olympic torch in an Olympic year, in an Olympic city, and it’s the Olympian torch of poetry and music and words and performance, in the non-corporate Greek spirit, and in the puckish spirit of Socrates at his busiest, corrupting the young.
If I weren’t teaching I would be there; as it is I might try and go along after my class – it’s no disrespect to them, bless them, but I’m a bit gutted to miss this one. And it may, just may, be the only chance you’ll ever get to see Damon Albarn, Molly Parkin and Steven Berkoff on one stage (I know people who might think that was a good thing! But it’s still a reason to go). It’s also a chance to warm up for the Southbank’s Poetry Parnassus festival in the last week in June, with poets from all the countries participating in the (sport) Olympics – ut first, this time, with a homegrown crew. Children of Albion arise and get ye to the South Bank!
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This looks like a fantastic event, will get a ticket tomorrow =8D-
Thanks Katy, & also Mark – it certainly should be a great night out. A detail of what you rote K that understates the Wholly Communion megagig at Albert Hall June 1965 is that Albert’s dome in those blissfully dawning years – when to be young was often very heavy – in fact held 7,500-plus & quite a number of would-be auditor/participants were locked out. As well as Peter Whitehead’s film, there is quite a lot more about the event in Jonathan Green’s oral history Days in the Life & in the POT! (Poetry Olympics Twenty05) Anthology I published as New Departures #36-37 (the hymnbook companion & survivor of a Forty Years After revisitation/continuity of/from Albert Hall ’65 to 2005, demonstrating & illustrating not only a lot of what happened in 1965, but documenting & representing also the many changes, mainly for the better, in & around the UK & world bodies poetic over the subsequent decades), copies of which are still available via New Departures/Central Books.
Look forward to sharing some of these & continuing vibes with some of the Beyond Baroque’n'rollers on Thursday, love Michael
Mea Culpa, Michael – I found a few different figures for the Albert Hall so erred on the side of caution!
Dear Katy
I hope that it lives up to all the hype. I’m sure it will. Poetry seemed to matter in the sixties and seventies. There’s precious little evidence that it still does.
Best wishes from Simon