Among my favourite poets are the poet, dramatist and the early 18th century British Poet Laureate, Nicholas Rowe and the victorian poet Alfred Austin.

This poem was specially commissioned by the British Museum, London, in partnership with the Poetry Society. It was inspired by the exhibition, 'Germany Divided: Baselitz & his generation', at the British Museum, London, 2014. http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/germany_divided.aspx

Michael Hofmann reads 'Baselitz and his Generation'

Enjoy a 9 minute (OK, 8 mins 42 seconds) guided taster tour of Vestry House Musem with our Assistant Curator, Gary Heales.

Listen at home if you're not in London or, for the full interactive experience, simply download the file to your phone and start just outside the main door to Vestry House from where Gary will guide you inside, telling you all kinds of fascinating facts about Vestry House's history as the workhouse for Walthamstow. You'll also learn what 'oakum' is and why the Royal Navy was so desperate for it. And finally you can discover how the Bremer car got a number plate decades after it was built.

Recorded & edited by Matt Taylor.


Vestry House Museum: Audio Tour (with Gary Heales)

Jacob Polley, winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize 2016, talks to Kayo Chingonyi, co-editor of the autumn issue of The Poetry Review, about his Eliot prize-winning collection, Jackself. “The self is at the root of all my work, but maybe my work springs from the tension between self-expression and concealment, of running the self through a magic lantern and seeing what comes out the other side,” Polley says. They discuss Polley’s recent collaborations with musician John Alder, the  influence of  Cumbria or the ‘Debatable Lands’ in which he grew up, acceptance and rejection, and of working with his editor Don Paterson. Jacob also reads the poem ‘Snow Dad’, first published in The Poetry Review. To connect with more poetry, visit poetrysociety.org.uk

Jacob Polley talks to Kayo Chingonyi

A recording from The National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. Hear odes to the beloved River Thames from some of London's freshest spoken word artists and poets: Jeremiah Brown, Erin Bolens, Toby Campion and Rachel Nwokoro, chaired by Kat Francois. Recorded in The National Poetry Library on Wednesday 6 September 2017. This event was a Thames Festival Trust commission and part of Totally Thames 2017.

Special Edition

Boat Poets Thames Takeover

Wilderness By Astra Papachristodoulou

'Pond' by Harry Gilonis read by Astra Papachristodoulou. 'Pond' by Harry Gilonis appears in the collection 'Rough Breathing' published by Carcanet in 2018. A transcript can be found at https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2018/may/14/poem-of-the-week-a-small-alba-by-harry-gilonis More from Astra Papachristodoulou can be found at https://www.astranaut.co.uk

Pond by Harry Gilonis read by Astra Papachristodoulou

Publication in Poetry Review is generally a cause for celebration and fanfare. So how did Esther Morgan and Moniza Alvi. Guest Editors of the spring 2013 issue, 'The Anonymous Invitation', persuade eight established poets to publish their work without a credit? Was it liberating or unnerving for those who took part? And what does it tell us about our assumptions as readers? The fascinating conversation between Esther and Moniza was recorded at Keats House, London, on 18 April.

Moniza Alvi & Esther Morgan talk anonymity in this Poetry Society podcast

The Poetry Society was founded in 1909 to promote "a more general recognition and appreciation of poetry". Since then, it has grown into one of Britain's most dynamic arts organisations, representing British poetry both nationally and internationally. Today it has more than 4000 members worldwide and publishes the leading poetry magazine, The Poetry Review.

With innovative education and commissioning programmes and a packed calendar of performances, readings and competitions, the Poetry Society champions poetry for all ages. 

"The Poetry Society is the heart and hands of poetry in the UK – a centre which pours out energy to all parts of the poetry-body, and a dexterous set of operations which arrange and organise poetry's various manifestations. It has a long distinguished history, and has never been so vital, or so vitalizing as it is now." Sir Andrew Motion

Jacob Polley talks to Kayo Chingonyi

The Poetry Society

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