Kisses 'n' Roses: Carol Ann Duffy Becomes Britain's First Female Poet Laureate

Carol Ann Duffy

1 May 2009 10:19 Africa/Lagos

Carol Ann Duffy, CBE appointed new Poet Laureate

London, 1 May/GNN/ --

DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT News Release (64/09) issued by COI
News Distribution Service on 1 May 2009

Her Majesty The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Professor
Carol Ann Duffy as the next Poet Laureate. Carol Ann Duffy, who succeeds
Andrew Motion as Laureate, is appointed for a fixed-term of ten years.

An acclaimed poet and playwright, Duffy is the author of numerous award-winning
poetry collections, plays, and fairy tales and poetry for children. Awarded an
OBE in 1995 and a CBE in 2002 for services to Poetry, she lives in Manchester
where she is Creative Director of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan
University.

Carol Ann Duffy has asked for her annual honorarium as Poet Laureate to
be paid to the Poetry Society to help fund an annual prize for the best
collection of poetry published each year. She is working with Buckingham
Palace on this idea, and further details will be available in due course.

The Prime Minister said:

"I'd like to congratulate Carol Ann Duffy on her appointment as the first
Poet Laureate of the 21st century and, of course, as the first woman to
hold the post. Poetry as an art form has inspired, excited and comforted
people of all ages and backgrounds for so many centuries and Carol Ann
follows in a tradition set by some of the most distinguished writers in the
English language. She is a truly brilliant modern poet who has stretched our
imaginations by putting the whole range of human experiences into lines that
capture the emotions perfectly and I wish her well for her ten year term."

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said:

"Carol Ann Duffy is a towering figure in English literature today and a superb
poet. I am delighted that she has accepted the Laureateship. She will be a
very worthy successor to Andrew Motion whose approach to the role has done
so much to revive public interest in the post. His achievement has been
outstanding and I pay tribute to his exceptional public service during his
period as Laureate.

"He is succeeded today by someone who, in my view, has achieved something
that only the true greats of literature manage - that is to be regarded as
both popular and profound. It's a measure of her reach and impact on our
national life that her poems can be the subject of serious academic study and,
at the same time, be just as at home when families gather for the landmark
events of their lives.

"Carol Ann Duffy is also, of course, a spell-binding performer and writes
truly wonderful storybooks and poetry for children. I have no doubt at
all she will carry this forward and bring a new generation to poetry."

Carol Ann Duffy said:

"I'm very honoured and humbled to become Poet Laureate, not only when I think
of some of the great poets who have occupied the post since the 17th Century,
but when I think of some of the wonderful poets writing now. The continuance
of the Laureateship is important because it properly draws attention to the
central role that poetry can play in the lives of ordinary people. Poetry is
all around us, all of the time, whether in song or in speech or on the page,
and we turn to it when events, personal or public, matter most. In accepting
this Laureateship, I hope to contribute to people's understanding of what
poetry can do, and where it can be found."

Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham, recommended the appointment of Carol Ann
Duffy to the Prime Minister following the consultation carried out by the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

It is expected that Carol Ann Duffy will meet The Queen for an Audience at
Buckingham Palace in the coming months.

The honorary Royal post of Poet Laureate is awarded to a poet whose work is of
national significance. The laureateship came into existence in 1668 when King
Charles II gave John Dryden the official title. Past Laureates have included
Dryden, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Betjeman and Hughes. The role has changed over
time - originally the office involved writing court odes to mark occasions
such as the Sovereign's birthday, but today the position is purely honorary.

Andrew Motion was the first laureate to be appointed for a fixed-term,
rather than a lifetime. The appointment was changed following the death of
Ted Hughes, as the fixed-term gives more poets the opportunity to serve.

Notes to Editors
1. The honorary Royal post of Poet Laureate is awarded to a poet whose work is
of national significance. The appointment is made by HM The Queen, and, as is
usual with this appointment, Her Majesty acts on the advice of her Government.

2. DCMS carried out the consultation process on behalf of the Royal Household
and sought advice from academics, key poetry and literary organisations and
others in the sector, including: Apples & Snakes, Arts Council England, Arts
Council of Northern Ireland, Association for Commonwealth Literature and
Language Studies, Association of Scottish Literature Studies, Australian
Poetry Centre, British Council, Edinburgh International Book Festival,
Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru, League of Canadian Poets, National Poetry Day,
New Zealand Poetry Society, Poetry Archive, Poetry Book Society, Poetry School,
Poetry Society, Poetry Trust, QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority),
Royal Society of Literature, Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Poetry Library,
Society of Authors (including the Society of Authors in Scotland), Southbank
Centre, The Welsh Academy and academics from the Centre for Research into
the English Literature and Language of Wales (Swansea University), National
Centre for Writing (University of Glamorgan), University College London,
University of Cambridge, University of Leeds, University of Oxford, and
University of Warwick.

3. Following the consultation process, DCMS discussed the most nominated
poets with Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, British
Council, Scottish Arts Council and The Welsh Academy.

4. The Culture Secretary made the recommendation following the consultation and
with consideration for the views of the Arts Councils and British Council. The
Prime Minister put the recommendation to HM The Queen for approval.

5. DCMS has been monitoring correspondence about the laureateship from other
interested parties and the public. There was not, however, a public vote to
determine the holder of the post.

6. DCMS supports the laureateship by funding the annual honorarium
(approximately £5,750). DCSF has supported Andrew Motion's work in schools and
colleges and the Department would provide support for the new Laureate if she
chooses to use her tenure to act as an advocate for poetry in education. The
level of financial support would be agreed with DCSF, the Royal Household
and the Laureate.

7. Carol Ann Duffy was born in Glasgow in 1955. Her family moved to England
when she was 5 and she grew up in Stafford with her four brothers. In 1977
she received an Honours Degree in Philosophy from the University of Liverpool
and since that time she has devoted herself to writing poetry for both adults
and children. She has also worked occasionally in Theatre, notably with Tim
Supple in their adaptations of Grimms' Tales. Since the birth of her daughter,
Ella, in 1995, Carol Ann has written several illustrated fairy tales for
children and her writing for children is just as important to her as her adult
poetry. Carol Ann lives in Manchester, where she is Creative Director of The
Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, a post she hugely enjoys.

8. Carol Ann Duffy has received numerous awards for her work, among them
The Somerset Maugham Award, The Dylan Thomas Award, an Eric Gregory Award,
A Cholmondely Award, The Whitbread Prize for Poetry, The Forward Prize,
The Signal Award for Children's Poetry, and The T.S. Eliot Prize. She has
received an OBE and a CBE for services to Poetry and is a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Literature.

9. Carol Ann has published over 30 books including:

for adults:

Standing Female Nude, Selling Manhattan, The Other Country, Mean Time,
The World's Wife, Feminine Gospels, Rapture, New Selected Poems

as editor:

Hand In Hand, Out Of Fashion, Overheard On A Saltmarsh, Answering Back

for children:

Meeting Midnight, The Oldest Girl In The World, The Good Child's Guide To
Rock'n'roll, The Hat, The Lost Happy Endings, The Tear Thief, The Princess's
Blankets.

This autumn also sees the publication of New And Collected Poems For Children
(Faber) and To The Moon, an anthology of lunar poems (Picador).

10. In the coming weeks, Carol Ann is giving poetry readings at The British
Library, Chepstow, York, the Bollington Festival, The Word Festival in
Aberdeen, the Hay Festival, the Wycherley Festival for Children, The Wordsworth
Trust, for Worcester Hospice, The University of Sheffield, The Hull Festival,
Luvy Cavenish College, The Isle of Wight, and is running writing courses
at Arvon's Moniack Mhor in Scotland and at The Welsh Writing Centre at
Ty Nywyyd. She goes in August to read at The Edinburgh International Book
Festival and to perform a 10-day children's poetry show, with the musician
John Sampson, on The Fringe. In the autumn, Carol Ann will undertake, with
other poets including Gillian Clarke and John Agard, a 40 day-plus poetry
tour for GCSE students.

11. Carol Ann Duffy can be contacted through her agent Peter Straus, of
Rogers, Coleridge & White, on 020 7221 3717.

Press enquiries: 020 7211 6276
Out of hours telephone pager: 07699 751153
Public enquiries: 020 7211 6200
www.culture.gov.uk

2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH
www.culture.gov.uk

Source: Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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