Poetry and the Tyranny of Relevance

Contact: contact@leedssalon.org.uk

SPEAKERS

Michael Schmidt OBE – Editorial and managing director of Carcanet Press Ltd, he has published 10 collections of poetry and two novels.

George Szirtes – Author of thirteen collections of poetry, including the T S Eliot Prize winner Reel (2004).

Michele Ledda – Co-founder of The Leeds Salon and secondary
school teacher. He writes regularly on the issue of education.

Chair: David Bowden – Co-ordinator for the Battle of Ideas ‘Battle Satellites’ programme and writer for online journal Spiked-Online.


Where do we draw the line between opening up difficult works of literature to an unfamiliar audience, and being patronising? Is seeking relevance a response to the challenge of ‘making it new’ for another generation, or can this risk losing some of the original value and meaning? In a climate where so much of academia and education is encouraged to demonstrate its impact, can or should poetry justify itself? What is poetry for and how should it be taught?

Price: £5.00. (£5 (£3 unwaged))

Time: 6:15pm