The Poetry Trust News http://www.poetrytrust.org/ The latest news from the Poetry Trust. en rss@poetrytrust.org Copyright 2010 2010-09-02T14:10:14+00:00 Seamus Heaney at The Poetry Prom 2010 http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/seamus-heaney-at-the-poetry-prom-2010/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/seamus-heaney-at-the-poetry-prom-2010/#When:13:10:14Z Over 800 people relished an evening in the extraordinarily good company of Seamus Heaney at the 2010 Poetry Prom at the end of August. Tickets sold out astonishingly fast and the queue started at 7am for the 20 ‘on the day’ remaining seats. Heaney enjoys phenomenal critical and popular acclaim - his books make up two thirds of the sales for living poets in the UK and people queuing for his live appearances have been dubbed ‘Heaneyboppers’.

Heaney’s humanity, gentleness and wit shone during the first-half conversation with fellow-poet and Aldeburgh Poetry Festival co-founder Michael Laskey. The pair achieved the remarkable feat of creating an intimate experience for the packed and massive audience. And for the 8th successive year, the power and relevance of live poetry in the stunning Snape Maltings concert hall was abundantly clear.

In the second half Heaney read poems from his brand new Faber collection Human Chain, plus a memorable selection of ‘favourites’ from his extraordinary body of work. Following the reading, audience members queuing for the book signing spoke of the ‘privilege’ and ‘sense of occasion’ of this ‘magical’ evening.

For those who weren’t able to attend in person but who’d like to experience at least some of the magic, a new podcast will soon be available on The Poetry Channel. For a taster/teaser of the delights in store see: www.thepoetrytrust.org/poetry-channel/

The Poetry Prom is a partnership between The Poetry Trust and Aldeburgh Music

Sponsored by Fairweather Stephenson & Co

]]> 2010-09-02T13:10:14+00:00 22nd Aldeburgh Poetry Festival - programme announced http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/22nd-aldeburgh-poetry-festival-programme-announced/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/22nd-aldeburgh-poetry-festival-programme-announced/#When:08:12:48Z Described by Tom Paulin as ‘the best poetry festival - indeed literary - festival’ he’s ever been to the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival is renowned for the quality and independence of its programming.

This year the Festival welcomes writers - established and new voices - from America, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sweden and the UK to the inspirational east Suffolk coast.

Former UK Poet Laureate Andrew Motion shares the poems he can’t live without; Queen’s Gold Medalist Don Paterson offers a fresh interpretation of Robert Frost; Elaine Feinstein confides in her relationship with The Beats; and Bernard Kops tackles the writer’s responsibility to be subversive. Plus plenty of international perspectives - from New Zealand’s inaugural poet laureate Bill Manhire, Sweden’s critically-acclaimed Lars Gustafsson, Holland’s enigmatic Toon Tellegen, and two scintillating Americans making UK debuts, Marie Howe and Dorianne Laux. The award-winning travel writer, documentary film-maker and contemporary poetry enthusiast Hugh Thomson will blog the Festival weekend.

Further Festival highlights:

  • The much-travelled Harry Clifton, newly appointed Ireland Professor of Poetry, discusses the concept of ‘home’ with Hugh Thomson
  • Selima Hill and Bill Manhire debate whether sadness is a more natural and even, sometimes, a more pleasurable subject for poetry
  • New talent showcase: Caroline Bird, Luke Kennard and Jack Underwood
  • Inua Ellams performs his potent new magic realism one-man show, Untitled
  • Late-night razor-sharp stand-up poetry from Radio 4’s Saturday Live Elvis McGonagall

 

Full Festival programme and booking

 

 

]]> 2010-08-03T08:12:48+00:00 Aldeburgh First Collection Prize http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/aldeburgh-first-collection-prize/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/aldeburgh-first-collection-prize/#When:08:08:58Z Judges Michael Laskey (Chair), Jo Shapcott and Neil Rollinson have a tough job on their hands following a record 95 entries to the Aldeburgh First Collection Prize. The Poetry Trust is delighted with the calibre and number and a stunning shortlist announcement is expected on National Poetry Day 7 October 2010. The winner will be announced at the 22nd Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, 5 - 7 November 2010.

Established in 1989, this is one of the most important and long-established poetry prizes in the UK, and the only one of to offer a cash prize as well as meaningful professional development. The winner receives £3,000, plus a week’s ‘protected’ writing time and a fee-paying invitation to read at the following year’s Aldeburgh Poetry Festival - a unique opportunity to reach Britain’s largest and most appreciative poetry audience. Over the years the prize has helped launch the careers of poets such as Robin Robertson, Nick Laird and Colette Bryce.

The shortlist will be announced on National Poetry Day 7 October 2010

]]> 2010-08-03T08:08:58+00:00 Advertise in The Poetry Paper http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/advertise-in-the-poetry-paper/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/advertise-in-the-poetry-paper/#When:13:51:27Z Reserving advertising space in The Poetry Paper 2010
The Poetry Paper is a free, highly-acclaimed and comprehensively well-distributed annual publication. Advertising space is allocated on a first come, first served basis and for a third-year running rates are frozen in recognition of the tight budgets many organisations face. Advertising space starts at just £170.

In Print & Online This year, for the fist time The Poetry Paper will also be fully available (and free) online. All print advertisers will also receive a web advert - with logo, weblink and up to 50 words of text.

Distribution Nationally distributed and targeted at poets and creative writers, poetry and literature enthusiasts and arts/contemporary culture audiences. 10,000 copies will be distributed from November 2010 until summer 2011. Specific outlets include:
• Aldeburgh Poetry Festival 2010 (3,500 tickets issued in 2009)
• T S Eliot Prize reading, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre (1,200 capacity audience in 2009 )
• Arts & cultural centres (Southbank Centre, Kings Place, Hampstead Theatre, Snape Maltings, Dancehouse, Troubadour etc)
• Other poetry and literature festivals (Bath, Cambridge WordFest, The Cúirt, StAnza, Ways with Words, UEA Literary Festival etc)
• Arvon Centres; University Creative Writing Departments
• Bookshops & libraries (including Scottish Poetry Library, The Poetry Library)
• Arts editors of all national newspapers

Content Exclusive interview with Seamus Heaney, contributions from 2010 Aldeburgh Poetry Festival poets (including new poems), commissioned articles and some quirky diversions. The Poetry Paper is 28 pages long and a maximum of eight pages are allocated for advertising. This is a non-profit-making enterprise, with advertising revenue ploughed straight back into covering most of the design, production and distribution costs.

Next steps… If you’re interested in advertising or would like to be sent a copy of last year’s Poetry Paper contact: akent@thepoetrytrust.org or call 01986 835950. Final artwork must be supplied by Thursday 9th September 2010.

]]> 2010-07-08T13:51:27+00:00 Over 100 haiku sent to Wimbledon Poet http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/over-100-haiku-sent-to-wimbledon-poet/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/over-100-haiku-sent-to-wimbledon-poet/#When:11:59:07Z Wimbledon Championships Poet - Matt Harvey - celebrated the longest recorded tennis match in the shortest poetic form and invited others to do the same. Matt received over 100 haiku following the match between Isner and Mahut. We’ve included some of our favourites below. To enjoy the rest follow Matt on twitter @wimbledonpoet

You can also enjoy Matt’s daily poems (audio & text) at:
The Poetry Trust  and Official Wimbledon website

Haiku….....

high performance play
all day and still no climax
it’s tantric tennis
Matt Harvey

 

stuck in the day’s heat
with the same noisy stranger
summer in London

 

Isner and Mahut
two tremendous warriors
only one pee break

 

giant of a man
wins a giant of a match
against giant homme

 

sun sets yet again
scoreboard breaks, keep score on skin
run out of flesh fast

 

a winner prevails today
stellar play by two
a racquet, a court, a dream

 

two Men, one on one
hot grass in the summer sun
night falls in Paris

]]> 2010-07-08T11:59:07+00:00 Aldeburgh First Collection Prize 2010 http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/aldeburgh-first-collection-prize-2010/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/aldeburgh-first-collection-prize-2010/#When:09:35:49Z The prestigious Aldeburgh First Collection Prize is now open for entries. Established in 1989, this is one of the most important and long-established poetry prizes in the UK, and the only one to offer a cash prize as well as significant professional development. The winner receives £3,000, plus a week’s ‘protected’ writing time and a fee-paying invitation to read at the 2011 Aldeburgh Poetry Festival - a unique opportunity to reach Britain’s largest and most appreciative poetry audience. Over the years the prize has helped launch the careers of poets such as Robin Robertson, Nick Laird and Colette Bryce. The closing date for entries is 31 July 2010. Full competition details

 

 

]]> 2010-07-06T09:35:49+00:00 Suffolk Young Poets Competition http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/suffolk-young-poets-competition/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/suffolk-young-poets-competition/#When:09:00:53Z Together with media sponsor the East Anglian Daily Times, The Poetry Trust has launched its 22nd Suffolk Young Poets Competition. This is one of the largest regional competitions championing young writing talent: over 20,000 four to eighteen years olds have taken part since it began in 1989. The Poetry Trust invites young people (living or at school in Suffolk) to send us their best poems by 31 July 2010. Poems can be on any theme and the judges will be looking for poems with individuality and linguistic fizz on topics that really matter to the young writers. Winning poets will be invited to read their poems alongside the wonderful Mandy Coe at the Family Reading at the 22nd Aldeburgh Poetry Festival 2010. The deadline for entries is 31 July 2010

Full details

 

]]> 2010-07-06T09:00:53+00:00 Buy Wimbledon Poet’s first collection http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/first-collection-from-wimbledon-poet/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/first-collection-from-wimbledon-poet/#When:08:54:59Z Wimbledon has for the first time appointed a ‘Championships Poet’ in partnership with The Poetry Trust. The announcement made on Centre Court generated a great deal of media interest with coverage as far and wide as the United States, India, Canada and Taiwan!

The only Matt Harvey collection currently available is published by The Poetry Trust and demand has increased exponentially as Matt’s whimsical, perceptive and above all funny poems have been appreciated by an enormous national and international audience.

 

This beautifully produced book with special illustrations by David Hughes is the perfect poetry present, gathering together the best of Matt’s poems for the first time.

The Hole in the Sum of My Parts
by Matt Harvey

Click to order

 

 

]]> 2010-07-06T08:54:59+00:00 Wimbledon announces first Championships Poet http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/wimbledon-announces-first-championships-poet/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/wimbledon-announces-first-championships-poet/#When:09:45:57Z Wimbledon announces first Championships Poet

Wimbledon, in collaboration with The Poetry Trust, has for the first time appointed a ‘Championships Poet’ to capture the flavour and fervour of the world’s leading tennis tournament.

Matt Harvey regularly entertains Radio 4 Saturday Live listeners with his perceptive, whimsical and above all funny poems. He’s also a lifelong tennis fan. As Championships Poet 2010, Matt will create a poem-a-day on all things Wimbledon: from umpires and racket stringers to the ball boys and ball girls; from the grass and its bounce to rain and the roof. Strawberries and cream, of course, and all the unfolding drama of the matches and players.

All Matt’s poems will be viewable online and there’ll be audio podcasts - featuring Matt reading his latest verses and sharing behind-the-scene observations - via the Wimbledon and Poetry Trust websites. Enjoy the first podcast now as Matt explores Wimbledon, shares his excitement and reads his ‘Grandest of Slams’ poem for the first time.

As Championships Poet 2010, Matt will be keeping a blog and interacting with tennis fans at home and abroad via twitter. During the tournament Matt will also give impromptu live performances to the famous Wimbledon queue as they wait to enter the Club’s grounds.

Naomi Jaffa Director of The Poetry Trust comments: “We couldn’t be more thrilled and excited - for Matt, who’s a poet we’re so proud to champion, and for the tennis-loving millions around the world who’ll be surprised and delighted (we hope!) by some truly ace poems.”

Take a tour of Wimbledon with Matt Harvey

Order Matt Harvey’s book

Press coverage

Press release

 

]]> 2010-06-17T09:45:57+00:00 New on The Poetry Channel http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/new-on-the-poetry-channel/ http://www.thepoetrytrust.org/news/new-on-the-poetry-channel/#When:09:30:27Z In a deeply rewarding and informative new podcast, prominent South African poet Antjie Krog condenses 100 years of South African history and the poetic tradition of Afrikaans into an extraordinary 15-minute snapshot. Using illustrative poems (her own and others) she explores the origins of Afrikaans, from its adoption as the language of slaves through to its use as the ‘language of violence and separation’ under apartheid, to its reclamation by those who were oppressed. She ends with a powerful reading of the poem read by Nelson Mandela at his inauguration, ‘The Child Who Was Shot Dead By Soldiers At Nyangal’.

The podcast is an edited version of a talk given by Antjie Krog at the 2008 Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. For non-football fans it will offer 15 minutes (we’re sorry it’s not 90!) of welcome relief over the next month. And for those already happily focused on South Africa, it provides the perfect historical and linguistic context and illustrates just why this World Cup is so special.

The Poetry Channel

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