Bit of backstory here . . . So; the photo was taken by Sophie's mother; the artist and illustrator, Helen Taylor. Helen and I started out together sometime last century producing picture books for kids - and the grown-ups who like reading picture books to kids.

 

We met in 1987 or 86 at Uni but whatever, I lucked in big time regardless. Helen's artwork got the attention of a publisher before my writing did. But I knew how to write what Helen wanted to paint. We had a little team thing going on by then. That worked out okay for us as time went on; two kids, a bunch of books, a little bit of success - I guess you could call it success.

 

Anyway,  it turns out there's a latency in the evolution of a particular kind of poet - like maybe the Ben Brown kind - that manifests a change in the writer. Which is about as much as the writer will share of that part of the story on this occasion. Except to say; it is a part of the story that leads here, to a poet at work with his daughter. 

 

And we are at work. Daughter is on the clock. She's my editor of first resort and Wrangler in chief of my next book; This Imperfect Light. Selected works 1997 - 2025, the manuscript of which is due for delivery to the publisher before the end of November. 

 

We'll hit that deadline because my daughter is also a writer and a damn good editor entirely unimpressed and completely indifferent to her father's occasionally over inflated opinion regarding his own literary awesomeness. Consequently, father does get a bit of rark up, when required. 

 

Which I actually pay for. With money. Like in a contract between two professionals. Or a pact between a dad and a daughter to try and give each other the best of themselves in this moment.