Coventry Libraries gets ready to welcome two new Poets Laureate!

The Coventry Poet Laureate and Coventry Young Poet Laureate are honorary positions which will involve writing poems to commemorate significant moments, giving performances of their work and encouraging an interest in poetry across the city.

The Coventry Poet Laureate will be offered a place on Writing West Midlands Development Programme. The Coventry Young Poet Laureate will be given free membership of Writing West Midlands Spark Young Writers Programme.

Writing West Midlands, Nine Arches Press, Poetry on Loan, Coventry Libraries and Coventry Migration Team (Coventry City Council) all supported the selection process.

Cllr Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "Coventry Libraries and the Council are proud to present such a prestigious award. The importance of poetry, performance and reading for pleasure is invaluable for emotional enrichment, literacy, learning and future attainment.

"Coventry is honoured to be celebrated in verse and represented nationally by two exceptional poets and I am thrilled to welcome them as our new Poets Laureate".

The library will also be saying thank you to their current Coventry Poets Laureate for 2021-23, Emilie Lauren Jones (adult) and Hawwa Hussain (young person) who became Coventry's first Poets Laureate as part of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021.

Emilie has a book coming out in October called A Poetic A to Z of Awesome Animals.

Prior to the launch event, libraries are also celebrating National Poetry Day on Thursday 5 October with a free event taking place at Willenhall Library between 10am and 12pm, where Poet Brendan Hawthorne will be writing personalised poems for people to take home. Other city libraries will have fun displays on show to mark the day.

Find your local library

Published: Thursday, 5th October 2023