A level English literature students were recently given the opportunity to hear from some of the contemporary poets they are studying at a conference in London. The day was organised by the English and Media Centre, an award winning educational charity based in Islington.
Writers Ros Barber (Material, Demotion and How Things Are on Thursday), Daljit Nagra (Ramayana and Look We have Coming to Dover), Alan Jenkins (Revenants, Blue Days and Drunken Boats) and Patience Agbabi (Telling Tales and I Have Found a Song) spoke about their work and answered a range of questions. They also gave some insights into how they compose their poetry and what influenced them to write. There was also a surprise guest appearance by acclaimed writer Michael Rosen who commenced the proceedings with a masterclass in how to appreciate the crafting of poetry.
First year student, Emily Couper said, “The trip was fantastic and the speakers were all extremely informative about their poems and were willing to answer questions on them, which should hopefully prove useful for the exam.”
