Happy National (UK) Poetry Day! And the theme this year being 'work', it seems appropriate that this week has been full of both work and poetry for me...

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I was delighted, but nervous, after being asked by a local reading group this week if I would lead a session next May on Legend Press anthology Remarkable Everyday, which contains one of my short stories. I'm hoping to pop along to the April session on The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve to pick up a few tips on what will be expected of me. Wish me luck though, as leading a reading group session will be a first for me!

I've also been busy this week on other things as I was lucky enough to be asked to accompany my son's deputy head teacher on a conference about engaging parents and parent and school partnerships. His primary school is thinking about setting up a parents' council or forum. It is all interesting stuff, as I'd love to be more involved in his school and education, but I have a feeling it promises more work than poetry, or have I just set myself a challenge!

On the poetry front though, it has been a productive week. I finally got my entry in for the writelink angels and demons contest and have finished reading Michael Symmons Roberts's collection The Half Healed, though I expect I will be dipping into it again as there are some wonderful poems (interesting themes, fantastic imagery, great sounds). I also found out this week that I've gained two Merit awards in Nottingham Poetry Society's 2008 Nottingham Open Poetry Competition, with my poems to be published in the next issue of Poetry Nottingham. As I said, a productive week of both work and poetry! Hope everyone else's has been good too.