After longing for a typewriter since I was fourteen, I finally came to purchase a beauty at only £10. Previously, I had come across many typewriters along my journey, however, none had sufficed. Not in the sense that they weren’t to any use or the typewriter for me, but in the sense that I knew it wasn’t the right time.
Over the years, I had entered local charity shops, not actively seeking a typewriter; simply browsing. Here and there, a late 80s typewriter pops up… digital in itself, as it has no moving type bars. An early 70’s typewriter comes into sight, seems to be a tad plain. Another, months later, around 2019. This one, I adored. It was perfect for me, affordable too. I went back again, the next day, just to see if I still liked it. I did. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic had demanded that all non-essential shops to close the following day, meaning that it, again, was not the right time.
January 2021. The time has come. I wander into a charity shop, which that of I have avoided for months, due to its unappealing aura. Today, it screamed to me. It was calling me in. Therefore, I entered. There, set down neatly on the floor below some vintage books and old crockery, lay a late 60’s Corona Smith Corsair. Its pastel turquoise green colour radiates throughout the store, it likes to stand out from the ‘modern crowd’, whilst also blending in well to its surroundings. The tag, £10. The shop-keeper begins to tell me that she is unsure of whether it works or not. A few presses of the keys reveal that it does in-fact move. My brain tells me that it possibly may not work, but my heart tells me it will.
Carrying it home, like a newborn baby, I clean it up carefully. Replace the old, dried up ink ribbon and begin typing. From journals to shopping lists, I have used it well. One form of text in particular, my poems, I have decided to share on this website.
I hope you enjoy my work.
Thank you.
Matt Harris Poetry 