A non-white laureate would be a role model and a deterrent for the protectionistas of British publishing.
by Peter Beech
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 April 2009 19.00 BST
Over at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, slightly panicky discussions have been taking place as to who should be Britain's next poet laureate. The government usually banks on going through this only once a generation; this time, Andrew Motion has decided that 10 years' toadying for a measly £5,000 a year is quite enough of a career boost. He leaves on 1 May.
[...]
Black and minority ethnic poets don't always behave in the expected way for poets; that is, they don't always sit down and write in standard English about Greek myths. Perhaps that's why they struggle to get into print. In 2004, writer-critic Bernardine Evaristo discovered that fewer than 1% of those published by mainstream poetry presses were non-white. In response, the Arts Council England commissioned the Free Verse report to assess industry prejudice. A mentoring programme was concocted. Five years on, however, little has changed besides a smattering of token anthologies. Those in the know whisper that the whole Free Verse initiative was nothing but a PR exercise for the Arts Council.
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5 voices:
Gosh, fewer than 1%? That's depressing. I'm all for a non-white poet laureate, I'd love Walcott's to get it but I think Jackie Kay's amazing and would love her to win, especially as she's female.
I mean Walcott. Sorry, too full of a big lunch to concentrate.
Just had a huge lunch meself. Probably going to sleep a bit
Okay, I could do it, but I want folks to come by. Please come by and show us some lov'n at Little Lov'n Monday Leave us this link.
I think Mr Walcott would be a great choice, but I think Carol Ann Duffy's going to be appointed. And, if she is, I'd be very happy with that too. Not that I envy whoever ends up in the position.
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