Shropshire Woman

Writer and poet Carol Ann Duffy is a woman who has made history. Appointed to the acclaimed post of Poet Laureate, she has turned tradition and what was, for hundreds of years, regarded as a bastion of male domination, well and truly on its head. Taking time out from a hectic schedule, she talks to Jackie Jarvis, editor of the Review’s sister publication, Shropshire Woman, about her exciting new role and her enduring links with our beautiful county.

Laureate Carol Ann Duffy will make a welcome return to Much Wenlock

Britain’s first female Poet Laureate has a lifelong affinity with Shropshire.

Born 54 years ago in the tough Gorbals area of Glasgow, Carol Ann moved with her family to Stafford at the age of five.

“In my teenage years I frequently visited Much Wenlock and Ludlow where I had friends,” she said of her trips over the county border. “When I eventually went to university I continued to visit the county at weekends.”

“As a poet I have also done a lot of work in Shropshire,” said Carol Ann. “ I have given readings in the last 12 months in both Wellington and Shrewsbury.”

Now the country’s leading poet has bestowed the highest honour on a town which holds so many fond memories of her youth.

It was on her return to Much Wenlock last year that the seeds were sown for the creation of the Much Wenlock Poetry Festival, which will be staged next month for the first time.

The founder of the festival, Anna Dreda of Much Wenlock Books, had invited the Manchester based poet to the town to give a reading of her work.

“During an annual reading retreat which I run in west Wales I was telling guest speaker Gillian Clarke about the candlelit readings of Carol Ann’s poems we regularly hold at Christmas time,” explained Anna.

Anna Dreda

“She said she was Carol Ann’s best friend and thought it would be a wonderful idea if the poet came to Much Wenlock and that she would talk to her about the possibility.”

Eager to renew her acquaintance with the town where she enjoys a loyal following, Carol Ann agreed to give a poetry reading at The Edge arts centre in March of last year.

“She said the audience had been very special and was impressed by the quality of listening, something many poets have said of their attentive an appreciative Much Wenlock audiences,” added Anna.

“Carol Ann thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and was obviously happy to be here.”

And it was the celebrated poet who was instrumental in encouraging the bookshop owner to establish an annual literary event, setting the wheels in motion for a challenging new enterprise in a county renowned for its rich artistic diversity.

“I promised Anna that, should she be successful in setting up a festival, I would be its founding patron,” said Carol Ann. “ I felt that Much Wenlock would provide the perfect backdrop for such an event.”

“I promised Anna that, should she be successful in setting up a festival, I would be its founding patron.”

And, true to her word, Britain’s top poet, and her beautiful work, will be very much in evidence during the weekend’s proceedings. By her side will her 14-year old daughter Ella.

“ We are very excited about Carol Ann’s presence at the festival. She has been right behind us from the beginning and her patronage as Poet Laureate gives the event real substance,” said Anna.

One of the highlights of the weekend will undoubtedly be Carol Ann’s readings, one for children, set to music, and the second for an adult audience.

“Accompanying me in my children’s reading will be musician John Sampson. We did a similar thing at the Edinburgh Festival,” she said.

“ We are very excited about Carol Ann’s presence at the festival. She has been right behind us from the beginning and her patronage as Poet Laureate gives the event real substance.”

To cement her relationship with the festival, the high-profile writer has composed a poem to mark its inception. This new piece, ‘Bees’, is being used to spark a range of other creative ideas by artists from the area.

Oswestry-based stone carver John Neilson will immortalize the text in stone while silversmith Catherine Hills, who will be exhibiting her work at the town’s Twenty Twenty Gallery during the festival, will reflect the Poet Laureate’s work in her jewellery designs.

Local people have also been invited to join forces with Wenlock’s specialist arts and textiles shop, Ippikin, to create a giant knitted version of the poem which will be displayed around the town.

The event has also attracted a host of other notable names from the world of literature and music, including Roger McGough and National Poet for Wales, Gillian Clarke.

Since her royal appointment 10 months ago, the Poet Laureate, affectionately known as ‘Duffy’ by her legions of fans, has embraced her important new role with enthusiasm and obvious pride.

“Being appointed to this role, and especially as the first female Laureate in nearly 400 years, is an absolute honour,” she said. “In the 21st century there are no real expectations surrounding the role. But I feel I must be seen to be living the life of a modern-day poet and have certainly become more aware of what a poet’s life is.”

As the first woman to have held the high-status post, Carol Ann is hopeful that she will pave the way for other female writers to follow in her footsteps and gain the ultimate recognition for their work.

“It is impossible not to acknowledge, in this day and age, that there are many great women poets out there,” she added. “ I am hopeful that the next Poet Laureate will be a woman.   Here were certainly plenty of female poets who could have taken on the role in the past.”

In the first poem following her appointment she tackled the scandal over British MPs expenses. Her second ‘Last Post’, was commissioned by the BBC to mark the deaths of Henry Allingham and Harry Patch, the last two British soldiers to   fight in World War II. Her third, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas 2009’ addressed current events including species extinction, the climate change conference in Copenhagen, the banking crisis and the war in Afghanistan.

The Much Wenlock Poetry Festival runs from 9 to 11 April.

Carol Ann Duffy’s children’s reading will take place on the Saturday at 2pm at Much Wenlock Primary School.

Her reading for adults will be staged at The Edge on the Saturday evening from 7.30pm.