The Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, visited Letchworth Library on Tuesday 4 March as part of his ten-year, A to Z tour of UK libraries. The tour aims to celebrate libraries across the nation and give back to the important community assets which played a huge part in his early development and his successful career as a poet.
An audience of local library users and students from Fearnhill School in Letchworth, who study Simon’s poems for GCSE English Literature, enjoyed readings from the visiting Laureate, alongside guest poet Cia Mangat who runs the national Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network. To help commemorate the event a print of Simon Armitage’s poem Profusion, created by local printmaker Kim Raymont, will be framed and displayed in the library alongside poems created by Fearnhill students.
The Laureate’s Library Tour arrived in Letchworth shortly after our Libraries service officially celebrated its centenary on Friday 28 February. The visit was amongst the first in a year long series of events spanning comedy, poetry, theatre, author events and much more. The year-long celebrations have been made possible through a successful funding bid to Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants, for Marking a Milestone: 100 years of reading, discovery and connection.
Watch the filmThrough the Decades: 100 Years of Hertfordshire Libraries
As part of the celebrations, colleagues, residents, and library users are being invited to take part in a 100-day poetry festival between Thursday 13 March and Saturday 21 June, launching with online poetry sessions for schools from acclaimed poets, Simon Mole, Arji Manuelpillai and Desree. Poets new and old are also encouraged to take on the ‘100-word poem challenge’ for the chance to win a bottle of the Laureate’s Choice sherry (traditional payment for the Poet Laureate) amongst other prizes.
“My experience of reading and writing began in the village library where I grew up, then in the nearby town library, then in libraries at various places of study and teaching. For many people they are an invaluable aspect of everyday life, giving access not just to books but to services, learning, conversation and creative thinking. I want to pay my respects to these unique institutions. Congratulations on the centenary, and good luck for the next hundred years.” – Simon Armitage, The Poet Laureate.
