[Rory Waterman]

I'm in it, with the sort of poem (originally published in Stand) that I expected would be completely overlooked by anthologies and whatnot. Thank you, Sasha Dugdale and Roddy Lumsden. I don't normally come on here and sing about my acceptances, but I'm really honoured to be in this. It's a very fine book, whether or not one instinctively bristles at the title.

[John Whitworth]

If it is the best British poetry then why am I not in it?

[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

John, we discussed all this last year.

Congrats, Rory!

Duncan

[John Whitworth]

Yeah. They left me out last year too. And next year. Nasty people.

[Nicholas F.]

I can't believe they left you out next year, too, John. Bastards.

Congrats, Rory.

[Jayne Osborn]

John might be upset about not being in it last year, this year or even next year, but I'm pretty sure that Duncan and I will be left out of it for ever and ever...

Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Well done, Rory.

[Adam Elgar]

I'm going to stick with Congratulations, Rory! -- great and well-deserved recognition -- and not complain about who isn't in there with him.

[Rory Waterman]

Thanks!

I think it is kind of natural to wonder about the selection process for an anthology such as this, whoever the editor is and whatever one thinks of the choices that have been made. But it is an anthology of poems more than a showcase of poets, and that is an important distinction. The editor, Sasha Dugdale not Roddy Lumsden, has evidently been charged with choosing her favourite poems from British publications, with little attention paid to who wrote them or the stature of the publications in which they appeared. This doesn't mean the book isn't littered with 'big' names - of course - but you see what I mean. I do find it intriguing that for two years in a row nothing has been taken from the TLS, as that is really the literary paper of record, but that in itself says something about the freedom the editor clearly has to go their own way whilst also producing a book with something for everyone. (Or perhaps I'm naively overlooking a copyright issue or something!)

[Rory Waterman]

And they took nothing from New Walk either!

[John Whitworth]

Unutterable swine! May each one of them die in a ditch, but not before I've cut their heads off. Performance Art, don't you know. Apologies to Mr Lumsden. His head remains on his neck. Have you ever seen the Vincent Price film where an actor (Vince natch) kills about ten critics in ingenious literary ways? The turn of the screw is particularly memorable