Carol Ann Duffy – First Female Poet Laureate

Just a tiny post to congratulate Carol Ann Duffy on becoming Britain’s next Poet Laureate (a post previously held only by men, such as Wordsworth, Betjemen and Ted Hughes).  Andrew Motion was the previous Poet Laureate and held the post for a limited period.  Prior to Motion, the post was held for life.  Duffy will hold this post for next ten years.  Duffy is also a successful playwright and has had success with her plays in the UK.

Glasgow-born Duffy is one of my favourite poets and as a lover of language, I ask you all to pop into a bookshop to take a look at some of her great poetry.  Last year, Duffy’s poem ‘Education for Leisure’was removed from the GCSE English poetry anthology. This came after an external examiner (from the school that I attended (hangs head in shame) complained stating that it incited knife crimes.  Duffy countered with a poem about all the violence that occurs in classical literature.  Read Education for Leisure here.  I hope you enjoy it more than scaremongers did.