BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation
BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation
10/05/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/05/2022 07:07
BBC commissions centenary poems by Simon Armitage and Courtney Stoddart
Published: 5 October 2022
Updated: 5 October 2022
Inspired by 100 years of the BBC, each poem explores the relationship between the broadcaster and the nation. Simon's poem, Transmission Report, examines the BBC from a unique perspective, whilst Courtney's poem, The Invitation, looks towards the next century of public service broadcasting.
Both poems will broadcast during the BBC's special week of centenary programming, running from 22 to 29 October, with further details released in due course.
James Stirling, BBC 100 Executive Editor, says: "I am delighted that we're honouring the BBC's 100-year commitment to connecting viewers and listeners to music and poetry with two of the UK's finest contemporary poets. The poems will be a wonderful addition to our week of special centenary programming."
Simon Armitage is the UK Poet Laureate, Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds and former Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. Also a renowned broadcaster, playwright, memoirist and song-lyricist, his latest collection of poems Magnetic Field, attracted widespread acclaim. Simon presents the BBC Radio 4 series The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed, and his most recent poem was Floral Tribute, written to commemorate the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Courtney Stoddart is an acclaimed Scottish-Caribbean poet and performer, born and raised in Edinburgh. Having started performing in April 2019, Courtney has had a meteoric rise, performing on both national and international stages within the last two years. In June 2019, Courtney took part in the BBC Radio 1xtra and BBC Contains Strong Language Festival Word's First Talent Scheme, making it to the final 12. Courtney was selected to be published in an anthology by Own It! London and edited by Jude Yawson, co-writer of Stormzy's Rise Up: The Story So Far.
The Verb: Something Old, Something New
BBC Radio 3's home for poetry and language - The Verb - presented by poet Ian McMillan, is also celebrating a century of poetry on the BBC. Throughout 2022, the programme is broadcasting 100 poems, both brand new commissions and highlights from the BBC archives.
The voices from the BBC's archive represent some of the poetic greats from the past 100 years. Listeners have heard from WB Yeats reading Song Of The Old Mother, UA Fanthorpe reading Grandfather's Watch and Ted Hughes reading from Rain Charm For The Dutchy. Over the coming weeks the programme will feature poets Dylan Thomas, Kamau Brathwaite and Stevie Smith, amongst others.
The Verb is also looking to the future and building a new collection of work with commissions from 38 of the UK's most exciting contemporary poets, including Malika Booker, Liz Berry, Alice Oswald, Imtiaz Dharker and Luke Wright.
Notes to Editors
The Verb's 'Something New' poems are collected here
BBC Press Office