Check out Roger McGough on BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme discussing The Festival of Britain, becoming an ambassador for The Southbank Centre’s ‘A Poet in Every Port’Project and performing his new poem ‘Poetry, the big fish in The Pool of Life’, which was composed for the initiative. Roger also touches on his memories of The Festival of Britain and the relevance of poetry in today’s world.
The Southbank Centre announces Roger McGough as ambassador for A Poet in Every Port
“May I begin by saying how honoured and excited I feel about being appointed ambassador for such a worthwhile project, helping to promote something that has been central to me my whole life: Poetry. And not only poetry, but the Southbank Centre itself, because I remember when I was 14 beingbrought to London by my parents and being overawed by the Festival of Britain celebrations.
Until then I thought only Liverpudlians knew how to enjoy themselves.
“As ambassador I will help promote something I have loved all my life. Helping others reach out and touch people through poetry. Guiding the reader towards thoughts and ideas they didn't know they had. Above all else, writing poetry is what helps us feel human, vulnerable and yet powerful, and above all, alive.
Seriously, I am deeply honoured and it goes without saying that AI wasn’t interested in helping me with this.”
Roger McGough’s The Collected Poems
Pre order Here
“This triumphant anthology stuns with its sheer variety…if you’ve only room for one book when you go on holiday this Summer, take this.”
Listen to interviews with Roger McGough from The Telegraph, The Times & The Spectator here:
Liverpool is the pool of life.’ is a quote from Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist after a dream in 1927. Although he never actually visited the city.
Poetry, the big fish in the Pool of Life
And we should know, we invented the word
As well as keks, cob ons and the Liver Bird
Antwacky, clobber, bevvy and sliced bread
Footy, of course, both Blue and Red
Scallywags, woolybacks, scran and whoppers
Jiggers, blerts, and bizzies for coppers
I’m nesh and it’s baltic, chucking it down
So ta-ra for now, I’ll see yiz round town.
(Enjoyed writing that, the words seemed to flow
Dialects can be fun, why not give it a go?)
A new series of Poetry Please out now on BBC Radio 4. Listen to all the episodes here.
Contact
Readings & performances and children’s publishing
Philippa Perry
07774 264 826
1 Westfield House, 80 Westgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 3HP
Literary agent/permission requests
Charles Walker, United Agents
020 3214 0874