TED SLADE AWARD

To Jim Bennett, Poetry Kit and everyone that sent emails to Connie.

One of the loveliest things that has happened to me was receiving your letter informing me

that I had been awarded the Ted Slade Award, and that my name would be put on a Crystal Goblet next to that of my old friend Michael Horovitz. Not just because it is given by people like myself and to many friends like Sally Evans who throughout the years have dedicated themselves to poetry at the grass roots level, but because it comes from a town which is a legend to me: the home town of Adrien Henri, the Beatles and the great Ken Dodd. How tickled I am. and how generous of you to do this in your own Liverpool Year of Culture. I hope its a great one.

Best Wishes and Much Love,

Connie

TED SLADE AWARD

THE TED SLADE AWARD

This award which is named after the founder of THE POETRY KIT (www.poetrykit.org) is given each year to a person who has dedicated themselves over a long period to the promotion of poetry. The award is made to an outstanding individual who has selflessly worked for the good of all poets. A person who has given their time and energies to ensuring the continuance of poetry at the grass roots of our culture.

The recipient of the TED SLADE AWARD 2008 is

Connie Pickard
Connie was co-founder of the Morden Tower poetry readings www.mordentower.org in 1964. The reading series continues, under her supervision, to this day and over the years has provided a platform for many poets including many of the outstanding poets of the day. Connie has been instrumental in maintaining the quality and variety of the readings which are conducted in the unique venue of Morden Tower, an ancient turret-room on Newcastle's city walls. For her dedication in maintaining the venue and the reading series for over 40 years The Poetry Kit is pleased to make this award.

Photograph by Barry Shingleton: The Old British Restaurant, once based in the Grand Assembly Rooms now the new Culture Lab at Newcastle University