Open Letter

Not sure whether to throw your hat into the ring? Get some inspiration from last year's winning author, Keithykat!

The lovely Andy asked me if I might write a few words for this year’s ALC. I must be honest and say that I couldn’t think what to do.

Fortunately, my brain came to the rescue about 19 minutes ago when I woke up panicking from a reasonably messed-up dream. I thought I’d tell you about that instead.

So, I’m on holiday in Malmö, where the annual ESCNation fan talent show apparently takes place. I travel on the underground around the city (as far as east London - those Swedes really invest in their public transport), only to get back and find I’ve missed the whole thing.

(Still in the dream - bear with me). Later, in the beer tent, I’m watching the replay on SVT and see the top two placers:

-Jonas performing a version of Växeln Hallå, with lyrics about when you really need to sneeze but can’t and it feels tingly and you hate that so you keep staring at the lightbulb in the hope it’ll trigger a huge one
-Alexander winning with his beautiful rendition of Italy 1984 about the virtues of how bicycles are going to save mankind, complete with full operatics and a little tiny plastic bicycle balanced on top of his head

At which point Yami came running up to me, screamed “HE HAS A BICYCLE ON HIS HEAD!”, and I woke up.

This is all quite inexplicable, but encapsulates what I love about ALC season. The fun, the unpredictability, the weirdness, the “what on Earth were you smoking to come up with that?”, the creativity, without speaking of the sometimes nerve-shredding voting.

(I have to enter to exorcise the monsters that live in my head sending dreams like the one above, otherwise they will break through to this dimension and frankly we all have enough to deal with.)

I hope YOU will all enter, again or perhaps for the first time, because you are a big delicious wonderful collection of funny, talented, creative (and sometimes weird, and I mean that with love) people. Don’t fear judgment or the grammar police. Don’t worry if you think someone might have done it before - your special interpretation is what counts.

I so love seeing what you produce each year and can’t wait for this year.

Lots of love from Keithykat xxx