National Write A Poem About the News Day
Wednesday 24 June
Instead of just tutting at what’s on the news, everyone in the country is being asked to write a poem about it.
The first ever national Write a Poem about the News Day is launched on Wednesday 24 June
People are already sending their topical verses to a blog at www.poetryasithappens.wordpress.com and their words will make up part of a gig by the topical poet and comedian Kate Fox at the Humber Mouth Literary Festival.
Carol Ann Duffy’s first poem as Poet Laureate was a furious blast at politicians after the expenses row, and demonstrates the possibility of a new relevance and power for poetry.
34 year old satirist from Newcastle Fox, who is a Poet in Residence on Radio 4’s “Saturday Live” hosted by Fi Glover, and writes topical poems for the show every few weeks says;
“Poetry is accused of being irrelevant to the news, and the news of being irrelevant to poetry, but at a time of the public’s increasing alienation from politics, politicians and events on the world and local stage, then writing about them can be a way of being empowered, poking fun, letting off steam or getting an insight into what’s really going on. I hope as many people as possible will send me some verse, a haiku, a limerick, some free verse or an epic poem- and we’ll have an alternative picture of Wednesday June 24th than the one we would get from news bulletins. Maybe a truer one.”
She has been asked to contribute her funny political verses to BBC2’s Daily Politics where she wrote about Gordon Brown’s first hundred days in power and St Georges Day, and BBC2’s Chelsea Flower show coverage where she managed to get lines about “Incapability Brown” and the White House garden no longer having any Bushes in it, into her piece.
The idea of the National Day is part of her special commission from the Humber Mouth Literary festival where she’ll be running workshops at BBC Humberside across two days and culminating with a gig showcasing the topical poetry on Thursday night in Hull.
One inspiration was Gordon Burn’ s 2008 book “The News as a Novel” where he wrote about the events of the year including Madeleine Mccann’s disappearance. Fox adds;
“Poetry is sometimes seen as being afraid to get it’s hands dirty- but I think it has a duty to really reflect what’s happening and what people are thinking and because it’s fragmented, snappy and can be produced quickly, it is an ideal medium to do that”.
Notes;
News Conference; Learning Zone, BBC Humberside, Queen's Court, Hull. Wednesday 24 June, 11am.
For interviews and information contact Kate Fox; 07810 115658, kate.fox@virgin.net www.myspace.com/katefoxwords
