It’s the moment every poet laureate of the United Kingdom must surely be on their toes for - the death of a monarch. And so it was that Simon Armitage published ‘Floral Tribute’ last September, a poem spelling out Queen Elizabeth II’s first name twice, acrostically.
In his recently published series of Oxford lectures A Vertical Art: On Poetry Armitage makes a case for poetry and the role of the poet in many different settings.
Armitage is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds, and the author of more than a dozen poetry collections. Verb Wellington and British Council New Zealand and the Pacific have brought him to Wellington this weekend. He will speak in discussion with Aotearoa poet laureate Chris Tse, and headlines a showcase of poets. More details here.
Photo: Peter James Millson
