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Gillian Clarke on Radio 4 and at Exeter Poetry Festival On National Poetry Day, Thursday 2nd October 2014
Twenty one years ago, four relatively unknown poets spoke with Peggy Reynolds for BBC Radio 4 about the impact of gender and nationality on their poetry and on their sense of themselves as poets.
Today, Carol Ann Duffy is the first-ever Poet Laureate, Gillian Clarke is the National Poet of Wales, Liz Lochhead is the Makar or National Poet of Scotland, and Eavan Boland is a highly distinguished scholar-poet who divides her year between Stanford and Dublin.
In the light of these developments – not to mention the constitutional changes and wild economic fluctuations of the last 21 years – Peggy Reynolds speaks with each of them again, asking them to reflect on their creative and professional journeys and on the state of women’s poetry – and poetry in general – today.
Finally, she asks them to cast forward and predict what they might say if there were a similar programme in 21 years time. Their replies surprise her.
Thursday 2nd October
With Gillian Clarke and Adam Horovitz
Venue: Exeter Central Library
Time: 7pm – 9pm
The Festival’s signature reading this year brings National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke and upcoming poet and performer Adam Horovitz, described by Carol Ann Duffy as ‘the real deal’ to the Exeter stage.
Gillian Clarke, the Poet Laureate for Wales, performing at Exeter Poetry Festival on National Poetry Day, 2nd October 2014
For the first time in history, all five UK and Irish poet laureates are women. WOW 2014 at the Southbank Centre brought Carol Ann Duffy, Liz Lochhead, Gillian Clarke, Paula Meehan, and Sinéad Morrissey together for a celebratory performance and their first joint reading. Here is Gillian Clarke’s reading, in anticipation of her appearance at Exeter Central Library on National Poetry Day as part of the Exeter Poetry Festival.
Thursday 2nd October
With Gillian Clarke and Adam Horovitz
Venue: Exeter Central Library
Time: 7pm – 9pm
The Festival’s signature reading this year brings National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke and upcoming poet and performer Adam Horovitz, described by Carol Ann Duffy as ‘the real deal’ to the Exeter stage.
Exeter Poetry Festival 2013: Photographs Part 1
Lemn Sissay with Gerald the Giraffe
Jo Shapcott
Peter Finch, Roddy Lumsden and Hannah Silva
All photographs copyright Ian Beech Images
Exeter Poetry Festival 