CityLife

War of words as poets eye up top job

Poet Carol Ann Duffy

CITY-based poets Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage are joint favourites to be the new Poet Laureate.

Andrew Motion’s successor as poet to the royal family and chronicler of national events will be announced next week.

Duffy and Armitage are both creative writing lecturers at Manchester Metropolitan University and unconventional candidates for the 400-year-old role, which commands a salary of £5,000 and, by tradition, a barrel of sherry.

High-profile

Armitage, a former probation officer from Huddersfield, has been described as a ‘rock and roll poet’ and enjoys a high-profile on TV and radio.

Glasgow-born Duffy, known for her outspoken and humorous work, is one of the poetry-world’s biggest sellers and a mainstay on the GCSE syllabus. She was previously tipped as a laureate in 1999 but was pipped to the post by Motion.

Duffy has previously criticised the role as outdated, telling one interviewer: “I will not write a poem about Edward and Sophie. No self-respecting poet should have to.”

But both are now believed to be eager to take on the role and MMU says if either were to get the job they would continue to teach at the university.

For either candidate to win would mark a departure from the traditionally stuffy image of the role of the laureate – whose original role was to compose poems for the Royal Court.

Lifetime appointment

The honorary post, which involves writing about affairs of state and national events, was traditionally a lifetime appointment but following the death of Ted Hughes in 1998 became a fixed 10-year term.

A panel of writers and critics drew up a short-list along with government and royal officials. Liverpudlian Roger McGough is second favourite for the role, say William Hill.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said an announcement was imminent.