The Poet Laureate

I bought myself a book in Salts Mill - which, in itself, isn't unusual. The bookshop there is such a rich and tempting cornucopia of literary goodies. What made this more exciting was that the author, Simon Armitage, was there doing a book signing. Simon is the current UK Poet Laureate, an honorary position granted by the monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister. He was appointed to the position in 2019 and will hold it until 2029. The role doesn't have any specific duties but the incumbents generally provide suitable verse for national occasions (which must be quite a daunting task!) You can read Simon's poem for King Charles' Coronation HERE.  I rather like it. 

Simon Armitage was born and lives in Yorkshire, and is Professor of Poetry at Leeds University, amongst other positions. I've read some of his work before but he came to my attention originally when he created the Stanza Stones, in collaboration with the sculptor Pip Hall. They are rocks scattered across our moorlands, inscribed with verse by the poet and forming a sculpture trail of some 47 miles across the high Pennines.  I have been to find a few of them in the past. (See HERE).