Carol Ann Duffy will become the new British Poet Laureate. The Scottish poet originally from Glasgow will be the first female laureate in the post’s 341-year history. She beat off competition from Simon Armitage, Roger McGough and Benjamin Zephaniah to the £5,000-a-year position.
The 53-year-old openly lesbian poet will join the ranks of great literary masters including John Dryden (the first to hold the post), William Wordsworth, Alfred Lord Tennyson and John Betjeman. Her work will include penning poems for major state occasions and events involving the Royal Family.
An official announcement will be made by the Culture Secretary Andy Burnham in the coming hours or days informing the public of the new Poet Laureate. Having missed out on the position before due to Tony Blair’s concern over Middle England’s views of a lesbian holding the post, the news will be greeted warmly by gay rights groups.
She succeeds Andrew Motion who stated earlier in the week that he was “relieved” to be leaving the job. The announcement will be made at Manchester University’s John Rylands Library.
You can read an earlier post of mine on this subject here: Carol Ann Duffy to be First Female Poet Laureate.
One of her most well known poetry books is Rapture
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