Naomi Jaffa on the end of an era at Aldeburgh

As the former long-time Director of the Poetry Trust, Naomi Jaffa is in a unique position to evaluate the situation at Aldeburgh, where it seems this year's festival might be the last of its kind. Her guest post on the subject over at Anthony Wilson's blog is consequently required reading. I very much recommend you read it in whole: her habitual generosity is on show once more, highlighting the work of poets rather than her own huge amount of graft. Perhaps the following quote from her article is key to how we might view recent events:

"...If it’s true what they say about all good things – and how can it not be, given our finite reserves of time and energy – then sometimes I can’t help wishing we’d strive to be less greedy (people always seem to want and feel the right to expect more) and more grateful. It’s been a marvellous thing, Aldeburgh, and no one can take away the preciousness of all those shared live readings and the evidence of the archive recordings. Enough should be enough..."

Let's celebrate what Aldeburgh has given us. Moreover, it's been a point of reference and departure for so many new festivals that have sprung up around the country over the past few years. Every time we attend such a festival in the future, we'll be accompanied by the legacy of Aldeburgh.