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Ray Hollingsworth Interview


Ray Hollingsworth

Writewords talks to cult poet Ray Hollingsworth, who aims to break what he describes as the ‘poetry cartel’.

I am a 50 year old former London art director and typographer. I have produced 2 cult poetry books, The Erotic Café which was published in 1999 and The Pornstar and the Priest which was released in 2001. I do not submit work for awards, nor am I in the least bit interested in what any critic might have to say about my work. I started writing on a cross atlantic flight to the USA back in 1979.

I was in the fortunate position of being able to finance the production of The Erotic Cafe. It helped to have a background in design, print and production. I would not have been published by anyone else. I decided not to read anything for 5 years while I was doing the first 2 books. I did not want to be influenced by anyone. I feel that I have established a style of my own now and although it may not be to everyone's liking I am comfortable with it. Just recently I have discoved Charles Bukowski and Allen Ginsberg. These guys could write.

My breakthrough was getting booksellers in the leading chains to believe that I had a unique product and to put it on the shelves. As far as I know my titles have had more shelf exposure than any other self published poetry in the last 5 years. I feel that the poetry scene in this country is tightly controlled by a few societies and publishers. They have too much control. They would never support what I do, and this is why I love to sell more books than many of the writers that they endorse. I never do poetry readings. I like the books to stand up for themselves

I am excited when words flood out on their own. I never sit down and try to write anything. I write rapidly and tend not to edit the work. That way it is fresh and raw. I never consider what a reader or critic will make of it. I do not think of myself as a good writer, and yet I feel confident to do it as it comes. I do not believe in creative writing courses, and I've refused to teach on them. .

The most common mistake that writers make is wanting to write before they have lived some kind of life.

I write firstly to satisfy myself. Secondly to satisfy a reader. Critics do not come into the equation. Writers should just write, and let the rest take care of itself. It sinks or it swims.

I doubt if there are more than about 50 poetry writers in this country who are able to earn a living from poetry alone.

I have just finished writing ' Blueprint for life' which is more cult poetry and should be released in the summer. I am also involved in a number of other projects which include song lyrics for a leading band signed to EMI and graphic work for interiors. I have also started doing new material for book 4 which should come out in 2005.

I do the stuff when it comes. This could be on a railway station. In a supermarket. Walking down a street. Anywhere.

Find out more about Ray’s work at www.erotic-cafe.net

And http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/features/big_read/ray_hollingsworth.shtml

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