World | UK
Public to be given say in picking next poet laureate
Asking the public has worked for Pop Idol, X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing - now the process faces a sterner test: helping to choose a new poet laureate.
- By Patrick Hennessy, The Telegraph Group
- Published: 00:04 November 24, 2008
London: Asking the public has worked for Pop Idol, X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing - now the process faces a sterner test: helping to choose a new poet laureate.
Ministers will announce changes this week to the selection process for the post, previously held by Sir John Betjeman and Ted Hughes. In a break with tradition, ordinary poetry readers will be encouraged to play a major part.
Andrew Motion's 10 years as poet laureate come to an end next year and the Government is keen to introduce more democracy into the choice of his successor.
Ministers admit to being impressed by the way popular TV programmes such as Pop Idol manage to galvanise huge audiences into backing their favourites.
They add, however, that they will not ape "exact voting processes" that pick a winner after candidates are eliminated one by one in a series of telephone votes.
Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary, will begin the new selection process today.
He told The Sunday Telegraph: "We want to canvass opinion from academics, from writers and from the public on what the poet laureate's job should be. What should they build on in the next period? What should the priority be?
"We're talking to the relevant bodies but we want to hear the views of everybody about what we can do - particularly to enthuse young people about poetry and the written word."
The final decision will still be taken by the Queen acting on the Government's advice, a process described by Burnham as "very formal."
However, the public will have a major input for the first time into the post, which carries an annual salary of £5,000 (Dh27,307).
Although there is no formal job description, poets laureate traditionally compose verse for the Royal family and to mark national events.
In September, Motion, 56, sparked controversy by claiming his decade in the post had left him with a bad case of writer's block. He later relented and said he had largely found the job "extremely enjoyable."
Share this article
UK
Tough love moulds young minds best
Wanted man sends in replacement photo
Two British ticketholders share £90m jackpot
Mum dies trying to save son from blaze
Meeting the Queen with pen tucked behind ear!
Brown under fire over Afghanistan policies
Politician could get time in prison after admitting expenses scam
Call for scientific advisers to be free from interference
More from World
News Editor's choice
-
Ajtebi's phenomenal assent
The former camel jockey was at the peak of his powers when upstaging Garret Gomez
-
US pushing for more aid to Philippines
Obama administration eyeing $667m security assistance package
-
Mohammad launches H1N1 campaign
Shaikh Mohammad was the first one to receive the H1N1 vaccine.
