Christian Voice make their most hated poet famous

From NSS Newsline 21/11/08

Stephen Green has been preening himself about his "victory" in getting a poetry reading by Welsh poet Patrick Jones cancelled at a Waterstone's bookshop.

Well, Mr Green will be finding his victory is pyrrhic, because Patrick Jones' "blasphemous" poetry is getting a much wider audience than it ever would if Christian Voice hadn't opened its trap. The book of poetry, Darkness is Where the Stars Are, is flying off the shelves in Waterstones and Amazon as people buy it in support (and because they like it).

Members of the Welsh Assembly have weighed in to condemn Waterstones in Cardiff calling the cancellation a violation of the right to free speech. Now Jones, the brother of Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire, will read his poems in a room at the Welsh Assembly on the invitation of Lib-Dem Assembly Member Peter Black. This has now caused the splenetic Mr Green to turn his ire on the Lib Dems, saying the party had "made it official policy to insult Jesus Christ".

However, Tory AMs are objecting to the reading. But in the meantime, Borders bookshop in Cardiff has stepped in and offered Patrick space to do a reading. He'll also now be doing one in Borders in London, too. The whole ballyhoo has also brought an invitation for Patrick Jones to speak at the Hay Literary Festival next year.

I suppose Stephen Green would advise us that the Lord moves in mysterious ways - which is certainly true when it comes to the answering of Stephen Green's prayers.