Hollywood Babbling On

Hilda Sheehan launches ‘The Night My Sister Went To Hollywood’

Poetry, that intellectual, inaccessible, grey, clam-like creature was coaxed out of hiding and made to dance in Swindon tonight as Hilda Sheehan launched her debut collection ‘The Night My Sister Went To Hollywood’. Hosted by Martin Malone, the night featured gorgeous piano from Dorothea Van Velde and poetry of the highest quality from special guest Robert Vas Dias, consequently the Platform could do little else than slip on their poetic tap shoes and join in. Hilda writes poetry that baffles, excites and grins, often all in one word, she is, as Martin Malone acknowledged, a very different poet who has used her own authenticity to create a collection that works in very different ways to most published work these days. Support for Hilda was obvious with a huge crowd making it clear that they wanted to get as much of her poetry as possible. A high point came as Hilda’s Dad read a considered version  of  ‘The Seal’ from her collection. Cristina Newton read from her book ‘Cry Wolf’, Dorothea played Chopin to pin drop silence, Martin Malone took us to the ‘dogging spot’ of Barbury Castle and Michael Scott read about his son. Even Leland Bardwell reprised the beauty of her previous night’s performance. But it was the night that Hilda was so very good and Asda, The Towering Inferno and Sea Slugs have never sounded so essential. Swindon Festival of Literature is a thinking festival and it was obvious tonight that people were thinking that poetry might be accessible, colourful and open for business after all.