I have submitted poetry four times to the Project and been delighted to see these poems appear in its annual themed anthology. I submit because I know the calibre of judging will be high; my work will be read alongside that of my local contemporaries, therefore seen within an appreciation of live concerns; and the ethical vision of the organisers is one I wholly endorse:
‘to see the emergence of a just, inclusive, peaceful and creative society, where difference is welcomed and participation is valued.’ (CAP online profile)
I had a long career as a film maker in Wales where the Institute of Welsh Affairs awarded me a fellowship for my ‘leadership in policy work towards citizen-centred democracy’. I’m very much a writer with a societal perspective. To me, Seamus Heaney was a writer with an acute sensitivity in this respect, one who navigated the choppy waters of the intersection of personal and political with exemplary grace. How wonderful that ‘walk on air’ of his.
In the early Seventies my excellent English teacher had us studying his poetry. I didn’t realise at the time that it was brand new work but I did know it was hitting the mark. She took us to hear him read. I was very struck that he sounded like us and that he was very solidly present in the room. Weight and lightness. He showed us there were no barriers to being a poet.
A major moment in my life (and I don’t say that lightly) was being in our kitchen and hearing him read on BBC radio at that time. My mother and I stopped dead. He was expressing what we knew to be true. He was carrying out a revolutionary act. Not one that was violent or inciting violence. He was changing the terms of what could be said. Acutely. Accurately. With an inherent balance which nonetheless was weighted towards expression of truth.
To enter a poem to an award with Seamus Heaney’s name on it is a privilege and a responsibility. To be, this year, among the longlisted poets and a runner-up is wonderfully encouraging, for the personal reasons I’ve outlined, but also because his name is, around the world, an endorsement.
My next collection, Exposure, due in the spring, is about war, media and democracy. To some degree I am still writing out of the impetus of that radio broadcast from years ago. I’d like to develop the community aspect of my writing. At the same time, I recognise that good writing seeds community wherever good words take root.
Angela Graham AngelaGraham2003@aol.com 29.9.2025
