Live Poetry Event in London
“...a night that showcases the passion...”
So, towards the end of me finishing up writing The Inevitable Threesome, I got to thinking that, ‘this is my very first book, I need to do something big to recognise it.’
As a lover of live events for music, comedy, and poetry, I thought there was no reason why I couldn’t do the same. Let me create a night that showcases the passion I had put into creating a complete book of poetry. Writing a book of poetry was a lifelong dream being realised and I hadn’t really appreciated the magnitude of it.
I finished the book, just about ready to release it to the world at the beginning of 2020, a few minor setbacks and then March arrives, bringing with it a national lockdown. This spelled the end for my big poetry book launch dreams… Or did it?
“The year had started so terribly that I decided to chart my year in a poetic fashion.”
Whilst everything about the world as we know it was up in the air, I decided to just kick up my feet and take note of where I was and where I wanted to be with my literary journey. The 2020 lockdown, for me, was the perfect opportunity to slow down and workout what my next move was as well as set up my foundations.
Originally, I wanted a July 2020 book release, which then got pushed back to October. After the initial pre-order sales of The Inevitable Threesome (the first batch sold out) and the overwhelming positive response to it, I knew that despite the time that had passed, it was still going to be worth my time and effort to do an official poetry book launch event.
I continued to write more poetry. The year had started so terribly that I decided to chart my year in a poetic fashion. Keeping the emotion and feelings raw. The pandemic gave me plenty to write about and by December I had completed Caribbean English.
Simultaneously, I was close to wrapping up on my first ever novel, The Journey.
Because of all the time to write, I felt as though The Inevitable Threesome was falling by the wayside before it even had time to gain any traction. The idea of a launch event came back to the forefront of my mind as lockdown restrictions were given a provisional end date.
I started calculating how much time I had before the summer kicked off. It was essential I got all my affairs in order. Things were gonna heat up literally and metaphorically, as I prepared myself for some utterly tantalising controversy, elation, and absolute drama.
Summer – Euro 2020 and Tokyo Olympics 2020
“...I planned to indulge fully, forgoing all other duties of life and social activity.”
This was to be the big summer after the big summer was cancelled. 2020 was a complete let down and 2021 looked to be a do over. I was caught between a rock and a hard place… Not really. Just adding a little drama. This was the delayed summer of sport and I planned to indulge fully, forgoing all other duties of life and social activity.
I love the Euros – despite the utter heartbreak of Euro ’96 – and I knew I had to watch the competition this time round... Then to top it off, the football was to be followed closely by the greatest show on earth. You know what I’m talking about! THE TOKYO OLYMPICS.
There was a love hate relationship that developed for the games, as I had planned to go to Tokyo in 2020. But after the pandemic kicked in, that swiftly became a dream.
Nevertheless, I knew I was fully committed to the games, which promised to showcase the worlds super athletes.
I waited five, long years.
Looking at the dates of these mammoth sporting events. They lined up with the impending lockdown restrictions shifting, to become looser. Therefore, there was fun and socialising to be had.
“Let the games begin!”
The important things in life
Despite my love for everything Olympics, I really had to check myself. Remind myself that these people on TV had made it in their chosen profession. I’m on a brand-new journey, right at the beginning and I need to put in maximum effort to achieve the greatest results.
There is no way of making a success in the literary world without putting in some serious leg work, this much I know. And although I’m not old, I don’t have 10 years to give to arduous tasks, feeling out the environment or playing it safe. I have been telling myself ‘If it can be done, I have to do it.’
This brought me to my next step, the poetry book launch event.
The reality had kicked in that I needed to invest time in organising it. Once again looking at when the government had decided to loosen restrictions, I secured a date – July 29th – This was based on all restrictions being lifted on June 17th. I wanted 6 weeks post lockdown to give people the time to feel a little more at ease with group social settings.
A quick glance at my life and I acknowledged that I was not the man for the task of organising a poetry book launch event. Not with everything else I was doing with Dyamund D Creations.
I enlisted the help and expertise of Drop A Jewel Network to take the helm.
Now it was all about playing my favourite sport… The waiting game.
It’ll be alright on the night
“...I had sold-out my first event,”
Months of planning was underway, simultaneously with months of relative laziness.
Everything was coming together. As the plans unfolded, more layers were added and I was thinking ‘this ting might be alright, still!’ I initially wanted something extremely humble and intimate, but I was convinced to go a little bigger and bolder to give a full on experience for the audience.
The plan was to start marketing the event two months before the show kicked off. Giving us time to develop the marketing materials and increase our efforts as we got closer to curtain up. To my surprise, within two weeks, tickets were sold out. People who had seen the initial stages of the marketing campaign, were asking us for more tickets as they slept on the first release – slow and steady did not win this race
I’m not gonna lie, I was overwhelmed by the response. This gave me a boost of energy and passion that I couldn’t believe.
The fact that I had sold-out my first event, for my debut book shocked me. There was clearly a calling for this kind of event coming out of lockdown and I was privileged to be one of the people providing it.
As we gradually got closer there were hiccups that added to the tension and excitement:
'Could the event team make the night?'
'Will catering be sorted?'
'Are we able to do a dry run?'
'Which venue are we going to use?'
Time ticked on, the disappointing ending of Euro 2020 and the start of the Olympics let me know that The Inevitable Threesome – Live was fast approaching. There were other issues that compounded the adventure I called a one man show. I was cool and calm as all aspects of the event slotted into place. I began practicing for my performances, unsure entirely of how I was going to do it and how it was going to be received.
But one thing I was sure of, was that it was gonna be alright on the night.
SHOWTIME!
“...this is a moment I’ve been waiting for all my life and I didn’t know it until it had arrived.”
GO TIME!
6pm, I arrive, books in hand, pumped to get the night kicked off. And anyone could see my ‘palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy there's vomit on his sweater already, mum's spaghetti. He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready.’
Drop A Jewel Network have everything under control, the venue are good to go and my hostess (Simalove) is warming up. I’m looking around and my heart has a steady rhythm, this is a moment I’ve been waiting for all my life and I didn’t know it until it had arrived.
The crowd slowly builds and there is a hum as they wait for the entertainment to begin. Simalove does her thing, she primes the crowd for my impending arrival. I wait stage left absorbing the atmosphere, I take a few deep breaths as I hear my cue to step on stage and wow the audience ‘…Who you’ve come here for, Dyamund D.”
“Showtime!”
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