Sue uses plinth spot to promote Poole book festival (From Bournemouth Echo)

Sue uses plinth spot to promote Poole book festival

7:10pm Thursday 6th August 2009 in

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A POOLE woman overcame a fear of heights to stand on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square as part of a “living monument” art project.

Sue Luminati, 54, is among 2,400 people taking it in turns to spend an hour on the plinth, 24 hours a day for 100 days as part of artist Antony Gormley’s work One and Other.

And fittingly the mum-of-three from Branksome Park used her time eight metres up to promote the inaugural Poole Festival of Literature which, as director, she is devoting the next year of her life to getting off the ground.

After a sleepless night and a heart-pounding assent to the top of the plinth, Sue braved the hour 8-9am last Sunday.

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Wearing a unique body sculpture by artist Nicola Anthony, which was created from words taken from a water damaged copy of Bleak House, she spoke about the festival and distributed mini cupcakes and paper aeroplanes, marked with festival information and meaningful words, provided by Nicola.

Sue even wrote postcards to her two grandchildren, making sure she kept busy to “take away the fear”.

She said: “It was the most magical experience. I couldn’t sleep the night before and I was so nervous and so shaky, but I am so pleased I did it.”

Charity fundraiser and event organiser Sue also filmed a slot for Sky Arts and will be interviewed by Clive Anderson for the channel today – another publicity boost for her cause.

The new festival, scheduled for October 2010, will have celebrated author and former children’s Laureate Michael Morpugo as its patron, and writers Michael Rosen, Gervaise Phinn, Deborah Moggach and Mavis Cheek are among the impressive names on board, says Sue.

She hopes the three-day celebration of literature will become an annual event. To find out more or help out with the festival, contact sue on sue@poolelitfest.com l Dorset lawyer Robert Bajaj has also been on the plinth. He had his 60 minutes in the spotlight on July 25.