Swindon Festival of Literature 2010 - Carol Ann Duffy

CAROL ANN DUFFY – Poet Laureate, reads and talks about her poems and work.

Award-winning poet, acclaimed playwright, and freelance writer, Carol Ann Duffy, OBE and CBE, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, is the first woman to be given the laureateship for poetry.

Her work, in poetry and prose, is enjoyed by readers of all ages.

She read philosophy at the University of Liverpool, is former editor of the poetry magazine Ambit, and is a regular reviewer in the broadcast media.

She lives in Manchester and, when not doing the duties of a Laureate, teaches creative writing at the city’s university.

In the late 1980s, Carol Ann Duffy was invited to be Writer in Residence in Swindon. She accepted, came to town, and worked with people in Swindon who were interested in writing poems, and who wanted to improve their writing skills.

Today, quarter of a century later, we mark Carol’s input to the love of writing and reading poetry in Swindon. Seven local poets, who, among scores of others, had the courage to submit their writing for scrutiny by judges in the recent Battered Moon Poetry Competition, organised by Cristina Newton, Martin Malone, and Hilda Sheehan, will each read their winning poem. The poets are Janice Booth, Jill Sharp, Heather O’Neill, Jonathan Robert Muirhead, Astrid Van Waveren, Emily Harrison, and Michelle Marsiglia.

Also, by way of celebrating the beauty of books and dance, Swindon’s own Swerve Dance Theatre Company will perform their short but stunning piece titled Tall Stories, where books prove the perfect props: opened, shut, balanced, perused, caressed, and loved.

Tickets - £10 (£9)

DOUBLE TICKET £14 for two events: 
Carol Ann Duffy 6pm and Bright Star 8.30pm

For any further information, please contact the STEAM Museum.