Poets

The poet Ted Kooser turned 85 this year, and the Pulitzer Prize winner and former poet laureate of the United States is as productive as ever, with Copper Canyon Press putting out his latest volume, Raft, earlier this fall.

Chatto & Windus' poetry editor Sarah Howe has revealed her aims for the list's future with The Bookseller, including reaching new readers through 'non traditional routes'.

Benjamin Zephaniah has died aged 65.

An announcement made by his family on the poet's Facebook page stated that he died in the early hours of 7th December 2023, eight weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Who is Sharon Olds? Sharon Olds is an American poet, born in San Francisco in 1942. She has a Ph.D. in English from Columbia University and made her debut as a writer in 1980 with the poetry collection Satan Says. Since then, she has established herself as one of the most read, most decorated, and most controversial North American contemporary poets.  Read more

In the late afternoon of Sunday, September 19, 1819, 23-year-old John Keats struck out for his daily walk from his lodging in Winchester, England. He'd arrived in the city a month prior, leaving behind southern England's Isle of Wight for a change of scenery in the cathedral city of Winchester.  Read more