Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

First of all, congratulations on your appointment as Birmingham’s new Poet Laureate. What does it mean to be a poet laureate?
It is an honour, of course, and does wonders for your view of yourself as a poet. You feel you have reached a plateau, probably a peak in my case, although I would still like to find a publisher.

What privileges/duties does it bestow? 
You get to wear the Hat [where have I read that before ?] but there is no other privilege. The duties are what you make them. There is no salary, butt of sack or budget. You have ideas, collect others and then go out and bully people to give money and help to put them into practice.

What was the process of your selection? 
Not absolutely sure, of course, but I believe the out-going Laureate [Roz Goddard, in this case] and the Poetry Places people looked at the entries and made the selection, at least to the short list of seven. I understand the last three were close.

How do you plan to use your laureatship? 
I have aims which are quickly turning into projects. I want to promote poetry writing [through competitions and prizes and through community poetry activities], get Birmingham’s poets more exposure [through involvement in Laureate projects], get poetry into public places [through projects in the City Centre, the Botanical Gardens etc.]. I want to promote small-press publications [through a web-resource or published fliers] and bring together the young and the old in poetry activities [through heritage and other work]. On top of this there will be the usual write to order and attendance at Civic occasions.

How difficult do you think it will be to write stuff on demand, say for a special occasion? 
No problem for me. At least you have a brief to follow.

Do you think it follows that if you have been editor of Cannon’s Mouth you inevitably become poet laureate? 
Not in the least. Get a Hat, young man.

Interviewer: Greg Cox

Poems show us that we are both more and less than human, that we’re part of the cosmos and part of the chaos, and that everything is part of everything else. 
 
                                                                          Julia Casterton

Poetry speaks to something in us that so wants to be filled. It speaks to the great hunger of the soul.
  
                                                                            Lucille Clifton