Following an introduction by translator Emmanuel Pope, a few words by myself before a gathering on Friday 28 March 2025 to celebrate the publication of Blackjack 2.0 (Itaca Publishing), a new Romanian anthology of Irish poems, in part to remind myself how essential it is that we appreciate and defend the freedoms and dialogue that are, still, against the odds, part of civilized society.
Congratulations to the publishers, the tireless translator and all involved.