A new set of Poems on the Underground, reflecting London then and now, has been launched to mark the tube’s 150th anniversary. The poems include a description of London in 1805 by Wordsworth; Stations by Londoner Connie Bensley;  Gherkin Music by Jo Shapcott; Barter, by Nii Ayikwei Parkes, about a young Ghanaian immigrant trying to find his way in a cold London winter; and Bam Chi Chi La La: London, 1969 by Jamaican poet Lorna Goodison, describing the dreams of a Jamaican teacher working as a cleaner in the West End.

Judith Chernaik, founder of Poems on the Underground, said in a Guardian article: “It's quite a challenge to choose poems for display on the tube during the150th anniversary year of London Underground. All our poems in the coming year will relate to London and its history, and many will be by London poets. We hope the poems will also reflect the city in its diversity, a refuge for exiles and immigrants and a beacon for visitors from all over the world.”

Poems on the Underground was launched in 1986. They are selected by Judith Chernaik, with poets Cicely Herbert and Gerard Benson, and are usually changed three times a year.