The Power of Poetry: Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage | Sean Pryor

“It’s kind of unkillable, poetry. It’s our most ancient artform and I think it’s more relevant today than ever, because it’s one person saying what they really believe.” - Simon Armitage

The right poem can be a life raft. In fact, as a way to better understand ourselves and the world, nothing else comes close. For too long, reading poetry has been considered a luxury, but in these trying times, the act of slowing down to enjoy a good poem should be considered as a necessity.

Simon Armitage has dedicated his life to understanding our world through prose, and was named Britain’s poet Laureate in 2019 - the highest office in poetry. He has since penned poems in response to the war in the Ukraine, COP26 and the impending climate crisis, and the pandemic.

So how can we carve out a space to enjoy more poetry? And what can these poems reveal about our world and our places in it? Join Simon Armitage for a live reading and an evening of conversation with UNSW Associate Professor in English Sean Pryor, about his impressive career as British poet Laureate, and how he’ll continue to use poetry to seek truth and justice.

This event is presented by the UNSW Centre for Ideas and supported by the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture and Adelaide Writers’ Week.