Well here it is, 30th June and tomorrow evening is when I get to read some of my meagre versions of Horace to the esteemed members of the Horatian Society. I look forward to this event with both trepidation and a sense of excitement. Part of me is asking myself ‘how dare I, a non-classicist, offer my versions to such experts’ and yet I try to calm myself by remembering that I was asked and surely before they asked me they must have had some idea of how I treat Horace.

I’m here in London, at what surely must be the hottest time of the year so far - and me a cool-climate fan! Pouring myself into my little black number ready for Horace tomorrow evening will be no mean achievement in these temperatures, but as ever we artists must suffer for our art.

I have kept out of the heat today, let’s hope that my presentation tomorrow night results in guests being hot-under-the-collar for positive and right reasons rather than feeling that I have abused Horace. Actually what I love about Horace is his wit and wisdom, his unique and knowing observations of human interaction. In versioning Horace I look for congruence - congruence between Horace’s worlds and my own. I will be thrilled if the company of Horatians present tomorrow evening is able to recognise that…. more to follow after tomorrow night!