Michael Rosen’s poem for 75th anniversary of Anne Frank’s diary
Michael Rosen has written a new poem, Sonnet for Anne Frank, to mark the 75th anniversary of the publication of her diary. He chose a sonnet, he is quoted as saying, because the form has a "certain kind of dignity" and gives the reader "time to reflect".
The poem speaks directly to Anne, addressing her as ‘you’ throughout, giving the poem an immediacy, as if she is still there, in hiding, and h...
25th June 2022
Tony Walsh poem celebrates bomb survivor’s Kilimanjaro climb
Longstanding friend of Write Out Loud, Tony Walsh, has followed up his powerful, internationally-renowned poem for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing with another, this time for one of those closest to the 2017 blast to survive, Martin Hibbert of Chorley.
Despite being left paralysed fro...
21st June 2022
The shortlists for this year's Forward prizes
A poetry collection about which a Write Out Loud reviewer wrote, “I will be surprised if it is not shortlisted for an award or two. It certainly should be”, is a contender for this year’s £10,000 Forw...
17th June 2022
Closing time at Costa: Hannah Lowe becomes final winner of award
Hannah Lowe, who won the overall £30,000 Costa book award this year with her poetry collection The Kids, will be the last winner of the award. In a statement from the company, Costa’s CEO Jill McDonal...
11th June 2022
Death of Paula Rego recalls moment when poetry and art met
Tributes have poured in following the death of world-renowned artist Paula Rego at the age of 87. We at Write Out Loud have recalled a moment in 2015 when poetry reacted to Rego’s art, with the severe...
10th June 2022
Welsh poet Gwyneth Lewis awarded MBE
The poet Gwyneth Lewis has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to literature. Lewis, from Cardiff, was the inaugural national poet of Wales in 2005.
On Twitter she...
4th June 2022
'I've been very much won over by the Queen': poet laureate delivers his platinum jubilee poem
The poet laureate Simon Armitage has revealed his platinum jubilee tribute to the Queen. The poem is titled ‘Queenhood’, is 70 lines made up of seven stanzas, and concludes: "For generations we will n...
4th June 2022
