On 3 November Kate gives the Tom Quinlan lecture, as recipient of this year’s Seamus Heaney Centre Prize, 7pm at New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House.

Poetryfest at New York’s Irish Arts Center also honours Kate with a cameo appearance: she opens the evening’s reading on 5 November at 6pm, a daunting task because the main readers are Colette Bryce and Sharon Olds. Better than Fireworks night back in Blighty though! Both events are downtown and are free, but seats should be reserved.

Colette was one of the judges of the Edwin Morgan Prize which took Kate to Edinburgh in 2008. Much water has flowed under the bridge and under the fuselage since then. It will be worth the long journey to accompany these two fine poets and add a few minutes to their programme.