United Press has put together the first ever map of the UK’s poet laureates. So if you aren’t on it, we need to know now. Ring us on 0870 240 6190 or e-mail us at info@unitedpress.co.uk.

“The map throws up interesting questions, like why hasn’t Liverpool, a hotbed of poetry and this year’s European Capital of Culture, appointed a poet laureate?” asked Peter Quinn of United Press. “We’ve asked their council, their arts bodies and their education authorities, but they don’t know.”

The celebrated writer Andrew Motion is poet laureate for the UK.

Wales and Scotland have their own national poet laureates. And for many years, local councils, education bodies and arts organisations have been appointing their own official poet laureates.

“Now there is an increasing drive to appoint a poet laureate for every city and/or county in the UK,” added Peter.

United Press is one of the organisations heading this campaign. Here you will see our map of all the official poet laureates we have been able to trace. We are sure there will soon be more. Watch this space.


United Kingdom ...................Andrew Motion ...........uktouring.org.uk
UK Children’s Poet Laureate ...Michael Rosen ...........michaelrosen.co.uk

Scotland ...........................Edwin Morgan ............edwinmorgan.com

Wales ..............................Gwyneth Lewis ...........gwynethlewis.com
Wales ...(for children)..........Gwyneth Glyn ............myspace.com/gwynethglyn
Welsh-language children’s poet laureate (Bardd Plant Cymru)
.......................................Caryl Parry Jones .......powys.gov.uk


Birmingham ......................Charlie Jordan ............birmingham.gov.uk
Birmingham .(young)...........Matt Windle ..............birmingham.gov.uk
Bradford ..........................Gerard Benson ...........orionbooks.co.uk
Canterbury .......................Patricia Debney .........canterbury.gov.uk
Cheshire .........................W. Terry Fox ............cheshire.gov.uk
Derbyshire .......................River Wolton ............derbyshire.gov.uk
Edinburgh ........................Valerie Gillies ............valeriegillies.com
Glasgow ..........................Liz Lochead .............glasgow.gov.uk
Gloucestershire .................Peter Wyton ............myspace.com/peterwytonpoet
Peak District ....................Ann Atkinson ............artsinthepeak.co.uk
Peterborough ....................Mark Grist ...............peterborough.gov.uk
South Cumbria ...................Maggie Norton ..........wordmarket.org.uk
Warwick ..........................Jane Holland .............janeholland.co.uk

What is a Poet Laureate? A national Poet Laureate is a person officially appointed by a government, expected to compose poems for State occasions and other important events.

In England, the term originally meant the official poet of the monarch; early Laureates were appointed for life and received an annual pension. However, Poet Laureates are now also being appointed by many counties.

The word laureate, obviously, comes from the wearing of a laurel wreath. Apparently, in ancient Greece, the laurel bush was sacred to the God Apollo; a crown of honour made of laurel was presented to poets and heroes. The word laureate came to signify a distinguished person, and was thus associated with those worthy of being gloried and honoured for the skill of their craft. In other words they were the best of the best.

A few notable laureates have been 1619 Ben Jonson; 1637 Sir William Davenant (a godson of William Shakespeare); 1668: John Dryden; 1843: William Wordsworth; 1850: Alfred, Lord Tennyson, on the refusal of Samuel Russell; 1896: Alfred Austin, on the refusal of William Morris; 1930: John Masefield; 1967: Cecil Day-Lewis, CBE; 1972: Sir John Betjeman, CBE; 1984: Ted Hughes, OM, on the refusal of Philip Larkin and 1999: Andrew Motion (for a ten year period)

BUT what about a COUNTY Laureate?

Are there any already?

Oh YES!!

Around 25 administrative regions in the UK have appointed their own Poet Laureate these include Warwick, Cheshire and Derbyshire. Their position could be described as to demonstrate a high standard of excellence in the literary arts and to serve as an educator and ambassador of the written word, usually they do this by holding Creative Writing Workshops in schools/libraries other public places such as village halls as well as writing engaging works to commemorate special events in the life of their county or city.

The goals are quite simple: to encourage young and old to express their literary creativity; to promote and showcase original works by local citizens; to create a community environment in which literary talent can thrive and be encouraged; and individually produce written works that commemorate special events. Usually Poet Laureates serve for two years.

Promoting the value of the written poetic word in a world of instant fix techno babble where everything is immediate and is as quickly discarded can be a tough job – it is a challenge worthy of heroes.

http://warwicklaureate.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html is a website which explains very well indeed what a County Laureate is and does. Many of these posts are being supported through Grant Aid from Arts Council England.

According to a press release from Cheshire County Council, W.Terry Fox is Cheshire’s sixth poet laureate and the first to hold the post for two years until December 2009. Terry will use the opportunity to write and publish further collections of his own work, and has made it his mission to gather poems from poets living and working in all areas of the county. Terry aims to publish an updated Homage to Cheshire for 2009 calling on submissions from poets all over the county. He sees his installation as Cheshire Poet Laureate as a tremendous honour and says poetry is one of his life’s passions.

“Big words, small words, I love them all. I love the sounds and rhythms they make and I love them best when they are made into poems. I am hoping that Homage to Cheshire will be a big, fat book because I am sure that we will be inundated with the work of local poets.” Terry had been teaching poetry at the Contemporary Arts Department at Manchester Metropolitan University for ten years. As well as his poetry collections, Village Verse and Dance of Fools, he has a number of published songs to his credit and an acclaimed biography of boxer Jackie Turpin, Battling Jack.

The five preceding Cheshire Laureates have formed the group: ‘A Bunch of Fives’ and now take live poetry on tour in and around the West Midlands to rave reviews. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=109409291 is the home page of Harry Owen one of Cheshire’s earlier laureates.

If the Arts Council is favourable to the concept of regional laureate poets and these already selected poets are clearly doing a fine job of taking poetry out into the community at grass roots level, and thus encouraging new audiences for poetry in all its forms, it seems a logical step forward for all counties and cities to create such a post doesn’t it?

Steph Spiers Feb 2008