Poetry blog

We keep you updated on the world of poetry with our news roundups.

Recent posts

Poet Laureate of Cincinnati/Mystery Protest Poem/Ask your Mama – Poetry News Roundup January 5th

 

In today"s poetry round-up we bring you a rather mixed bag of stories; The city of Cincinnati is searching for their next Poet Laureate; a mystery poem has appeared in protest at the site of a proposed quarry in Stanstead Abbots and finally the live performance of “Ask Your Mama” a poem by Langston Hughes at a tribute concert. Cincinnati Poet Laureate The city ...

Lydia Maria Francis Child Poems

 

Lydia Maria Francis Child was a 19th century poet, novelist and school teacher.  She was, throughout her lifetime, enthusiastically involved with a number of campaigns of a political and social justice nature.  Examples of these were Native American rights, women’s rights and the abolition of slavery and she was also against American expansionism of its territorial and political borders.  She was never afraid ...

Keorapetse Kgositsile Passes Away – Poetry News Roundup January 4th

 

Today at My Poetic Side we bring you the sad news of the death of the National Poet Laureate and Political activist Keorapetse Kgositsile, who died just yesterday after a short illness. South African National Poet Laureate Dies at 79 2018 has not got off to a great start for the literary community with the news that the National Poet Laureate of South Africa ...

Tony Walsh/Costa Award – Poetry News Round up January 3rd

 

In today's poetry new round-up we take a look at Tony Walsh and his gift to the Forever Manchester Charity. We also take a look at the winner of the Costa Award for Poetry. Poet Gifts Poem to City Tony Walsh aka Longfella, the poet who shot to fame following the bombing of the Manchester Arena during the Arianna Grande concert in May has ...

Ma Rainey Poems

 

"Ma" Rainey was an African-American writer of poetry and songs who was a pioneer in the field of blues songwriting and singing, often being referred to as the "Mother of the Blues".   Her writing inspired others to follow her lead, with black American poets such as Sterling Brown and Langston Hughes forging their reputations in her wake.  She became so well known ...

Madison Julius Cawein Poems

 

Madison Julius Cawein was an American poet, novelist and playwright whose poetic style led to his being referred to as the “Keats of Kentucky”. He was born on the 23rd March 1865 in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of a herbalist.  His education did not extend beyond high school and his first place of employment was in an establishment that doubled up as both pool ...

Poetry on Money/Poet Honoured in New Year List/Grants awarded – Poetry News Roundup January 2nd

 

In today"s new round-up we bring you articles about the new £2 coin that will be released sometime in 2018, the Historian who was named on the Queens New Years Honours List and the poets who received $40,000 grants. Poets Words to Appear on £2 Coin The Royal Mint has revealed that the words of World War I poet, Wilfred Owen will appear ...

Max Plowman Poems

 

Max Plowman was an English poet who held pacifist views even though he enlisted into the British Army in 1914 and served in the front line trenches of the Somme before being invalided back home. He was born Mark Plowman on the 1st September 1883 in the Northumberland Park district of north London, the son of a businessman who dealt in the production ...

Google Doodle/Iranian Poet Sentenced – Poetry News Roundup January 1st

 

In our first News round-up of 2018 we bring you an article about another poet honoured by Google with a doodle and an article about an Iranian poet who has been sentenced to two years in prison. Renowned Kannada Poet Kuvempu Honoured by Google On Friday Google once again dedicated its doodle to the memory of a poet. The poet in question this time ...

Maxwell Bodenheim Poems

 

Maxwell Bodenheim was a US born poet, magazine editor and novelist whose sometimes outrageous lifestyle, leading him to be known in New York City as the “King of the Greenwich Village Bohemians”, would eventually lead to a violent death for both himself and his wife.  He was most famous as a writer during the “Jazz Age” of the 1920s. He was born Maxwell Bodenheimer in Hermanville, Mississippi on ...