Meeting my hero

 There is an old saying: 'You should never meet your heroes because they always disappoint.'  But I wasn't disappointed in the least when I got to meet Carol Ann Duffy.

 

You see, I personally regard Duffy as the Holy Grail of modern day poetry. I loved reading her poems at GCSE and wanted to ask her whether or not it was a blessing or a curse to have your poems being taught at GCSE.

 

So after her reading, I went further into my overdraft and joined the queue of people who wanted their books signed. 

 

Soon it was my turn. Armed with The World's Wife, one of her very witty collections, I headed to the desk. As she signed my book, I gushed over how much I love her work. Then I asked my question, and this was her response 'I really enjoyed reading Ted Hughes at GCSE and those poems inspired me to be a poet.'

 

So I suppose the answer is that in Duffy's case, it's a blessing. Those poems she read inspired her just as her work has inspired me.

So thank you, Carol Ann Duffy for being just as brilliant in the flesh as you are on paper.




Me with the Holy Grail of Modern Day Poetry.

Kelly Davies