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Now your reading groups can try poetry!
The Poetry Book Society has just launched a new reading group scheme based on the shortlist for the 2010 T S Eliot Prize for Poetry. We are hoping to persuade fiction reading groups to try poetry, using the work of the poets shortlisted for the Prize.
The ten-book shortlist has just been announced:
Seeing Stars Simon Armitage Faber
The Mirabelles Annie Freud Picador
You John Haynes Seren
Human Chain Seamus Heaney Faber
What the Water Gave Me Pascale Petit Seren
The Wrecking Light Robin Robertson Picador
Rough Music Fiona Sampson Carcanet
Phantom Noise Brian Turner Bloodaxe
White Egrets Derek Walcott Faber
New Light for the Old Dark Sam Willetts Jonathan Cape
Reading groups can download three poems from each book, together with reading group notes on the poems, a biography and photo of each poet from this page. The PBS website will offer readers the opportunity to vote for their favourite poet online and to take part in discussion of the shortlist. The result of the reading groups’ vote will be announced at the award ceremony.
Anxious about poetry? Who’s afraid of T S Eliot? is an article suggesting ways in which you can overcome any anxieties you may have and free yourself up to enjoy poetry. There are also suggestions of poets you might like if you’ve enjoyed various works of fiction and non-fiction.
Generous reading group discounts will be also be available. Readers will be able to sign up for a weekly email which will cover the ten poets in turn and keep them up-to-date with news on the Prize.
There will also be a prize draw for tickets for the celebratory T S Eliot Prize Readings in the Royal Festival Hall in London’s Southbank on Sunday 23 January.
The PBS is keen to encourage book groups to give poetry a go, so reading groups can download the poems from the site and incorporate them into their reading plans, or books can be ordered from the PBS if they wish to read further. We also hope to encourage the setting-up of new poetry reading groups. Pam Johnson’s article on the site shows how to go about it and describes how her own group enjoyed reading last year’s shortlist.
The winner of the 2010 T S Eliot Prize will be announced at the award ceremony on Monday 24 January 2011, when Mrs Valerie Eliot will present the winner with a cheque for £15,000. The shortlisted poets will each receive £1,000.
The T S Eliot Prize was inaugurated in 1993 to celebrate the Poetry Book Society's 40th birthday, and to honour its founding poet. Now in its eighteenth year, the T S Eliot Prize is the ‘world’s top poetry award’ (Louise Jury, The Irish Independent). The Prize is awarded annually to the writer of the best new poetry collection published in the UK or Ireland. It is unique as it is always judged by a panel of established poets and it has been described by Sir Andrew Motion as ‘the Prize most poets want to win’. Last year’s winner was Philip Gross, for his collection The Water Table (Bloodaxe).
Thanks for your help.
Chris Holifield
Director
Poetry Book Society
020 7831 7468
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