 |
 |
I remember an Organisation called Poets Conference which campaigned for proper pay for poets. The result was the National Poetry Secretariat which was an excellent body which maintained the kind of equitable fees that Ric and Peter mentioned (although I think that poets could individually negotiate higher fees?). That's very fine, and it is a shame it's gone. I've been used to reading in London for nothing or for expenses, and organising such events: that's ok; it keeps the scene going. But if I am doing it for some organisation I think I would demand a fee - and do now and then. I pay poets a hundred pounds plus expenses for gigs here at Edge Hill, but that means I can't put on many. If I was starting a series in Liverpool I would fund it by other means, or no means. In principle I would pay equally,(particularly if there were more than one poet on the bill.) . But I can see that I wouldn't always get the poet I wanted. At my last college I paid poets different rates. I see no problem with this. (EG: Travelling expenses pay for the train fare but they don't make up for the wear , tear and lost time of travelling itself.) IIf that's what they want/charge and I'm willing to pay. I don't believe in a market but such poets will price themselves out of it anyway if there's no money to pay for them. Let's judge this on a case by case analysis (judging and matching the capacities of readers and organisations alike). Let's be glad somebody gets paid. (Whoever that is.) Robert Sheppard %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%