Vote for Me?

Much to my surprise, and slightly confused pleasure, I am on the voting list for this year's Hospital Club 100, presented in association with the Independent.

"The Hospital Club 100 is a search for the most influential people in the creative and media industries," says the club's website, "with the emphasis on current contribution and importance, not just the size of someone’s celebrity status, profile, bank balance, titles or past reputation.

"The club's "network and panel of experts have put together their shortlist", but it’s now time to "have your say about who represent the future of the creative industries. The list is unique in that it contains both emerging and established names, highlighting not only those who will be influencing Creative Britain’s immediate future, but also in the longer term."

I've been nominated as an Emerging Poet in the Publishing and Writing section. Which is an arrival of sorts, as I have probably been emerging, on and off, for the last 15 years. Oh well...

There's a wide range of people to vote for and I would recommend taking a good look at the lists and categories and voting in as many of the categories as interest you - there are a number of intriguing and amazing people in the emerging lists, many of whom are worth voting for and a number of whom I would count as pretty well established. Matt Smith, the new Doctor Who, is a case in point.

Now, I'd be delighted if you were to vote for me - I'm the only 'emerging' poet on the list (the only other poet is Don Paterson, on the established list), poetry always needs a boost in the media and I would be fantastically grateful and amused should my name appear anywhere in the final 100 - but there are a great number of amazing and creative people to vote for, so I'm not going to hold it against you if you don't vote for me. The choice is yours.

To find out more about all the candidates and to vote, click here. Voting continues for two weeks and the result is announced in early July.