Roger Hudson Drogheda Poetry Launch

“More than a Booklaunch” is how Drogheda poet Roger Hudson sees the launch of his latest book of poetry Plaything of the Great God Kafka (Lapwing Publications, Belfast) to be held at the Highlanes Gallery, Laurence Street, Drogheda on Friday 12 April at 7.30pm. It will be launched by Joe Woods, poet and Director of Poetry Ireland, himself a Drogheda native.

The event will also feature display of a selected number of Roger’s complex photomontages that present multi-faceted views of modern life comparable to the poems – “visual poems” he calls them or even “motionless movies”. Some poems will be performed with musical improvisation by Breifne Holohan and others in multiple voices with Brian Quinn and Nuala Leonard.

Roger promises that the poems coupled with the pictures will give a colourful view of the development over a lifetime of his often quirky worldview, assembling narratives of life incidents and social and political observations that range through Vietnam War atrocities, the Cuban missile crisis, puberty, propaganda, prejudice, prostate biopsy, the banking crisis and much more in what amounts to a kaleidoscopic autobiography.

Roger has lived in Drogheda for over ten years now, playing an active role in its artistic life including Drogheda Creative Writers and its awards, open mics, anthologies and grand slams, and exhibiting his photomontages at Droichead as well as working on his previous collections Lifescapes (in Side-Angles with Steve Downes) and Greybell Wood and Beyond, also with Lapwing.

Drogheda Mayor, Councillor Paul Bell will officiate. Refreshments will be served. All welcome. Event supported by Create Louth. Signed copies available on the night at €10.