From May 8th, when Feinde: Austrian Enemies began, to June 27th, when the Mahu exhibition events program ended I was read, performed, collaborated or organised 34 readings in those 51 days. It was a patch of time I had cultivated as active, always wanting an ebb and flow between periods of relentlessness and calm, and yet I did rather blunder into it too. I've had the privilege of staying busy with creative stuff the last two or three years but this was probably the most intensive patch. I learned things through it that will change the way I approach almost everything, both good and bad, which is perhaps it's greatest result, but more than anything the extraordinary experiences I had with people are what stays with me. I met at least a 1000 new poets, artists or people interested in that. I am grateful, and what does truly stay with me after these few months, for the hospitality, energy and friendship of so many.
From Feinde, working with Jorg Piringer who I admire so much, and making deep friendships with Esther Strauss, Max Hofler, Ann Cotten and the amazing Theodora Danek, and all the brilliant British poets who were involved, Jen Calleja, the Bohman brothers, Robert McClean, Emma Hammond, Cristine Brache, Prudence Chamberlain, Eley Williams ...
to Euro Lit Night Edinburgh and the beautiful hospitality of my friends Colin Herd, Ryan Van Winkle, Graeme Smith, nick-e melville, Iain Morrison and so many others .... to the Garden Museum and Jo Gibbons and co who are kind enough to have me in residence at their Landscape Architecture firm ... to the Five Years Gallery, spending lovely time with Fabian Peake, Giovanna Coppola, Phyllida Barlow, Clover Peake ... to Kettle's Yard, and an amazing night with Sarah Turner and Lyn Nead beneath Gauder-Brzeska's Wrestlers...
to Gelynion! one of the very best Enemies projects, so full of heartfelt support and exchange and friendship. To Nia Davies, Joe Dunthorne, Eurig Salisbury, Zoe Skoulding, Rhys Trimble, Annwn and the amazing array of poets who could not have given more to the readings in Newport, Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth, Bangor ... to Hay-on-Wye, which I found to be completely welcoming and full of interesting people, to my friends Nell Leyshon, Daniel Hahn, Rosie Goldsmith and others who showed me around
to {Enthusiasm} and it's launch, and the incredible relationship I have been lucky to cultivate with two extraordinary people - Will Shutes and Jess Chandler, to whom I owe much, ... & to Eleanor Vonne Brown at X Marks the Bokship ... & to Kit Caless, Gary Budden, Tom Chivers and Iain Sinclair, for that special day at the Stoke Newington Literary Festival
to my friends in Berlin, to the generous hospitality of Chris Szalay, Daniela Seel, Cia Rinne, Alexander Filyuta, Alexander Gumz, Moritz Malsch, Katharina Deloglu, and all the people from around the world, from China to Sweden, who I met and began relationships with, many of which I am sure will bear fruit.
& finally to Mahu, and the near 400 people who crammed into that beautiful hidden space in St Pancras over 11 nights last month ... to all the guest curators who took their tasks so seriously, to all my friends who visited, and strangers alike, who offered kind words about the work on exhibition. my beautiful sister who travelled so far to see it - to Lotje Sodderland, Dave Spittle, James Davies, Michael Weller, Stephen Emmerson, & so so many more, and most of all to Cameron Maxwell and Amalie Russell, I could not have had a better experience in my home from home the Hardy Tree gallery