Welcome to another new week here at My Poetic Side, this week we kick off our news round ups with the startling news that Pablo Neruda may not have died of natural causes. We also bring you another young poet and the poem being used to advertise a fragrance.

Pablo Neruda may not have died of cancer

In 1973, just 12 days after General Augusto Pinochet seized power following a coup on 11^th September, Chilean poet and Nobel laureate, Pablo Neruda died of advanced prostate cancer.

In 2011 a bombshell was dropped by Manuel Araya, the former chauffeur of the poet who made the staggering claim that Neruda had not died of cancer at all but had in fact been murdered at the hands of Pinochet’s agents. He claims that the poet’s illness offered them the perfect excuse to kill him; Neruda was well known his passionate love poem and his very staunch communist views

The order to exhume Neruda’s body was given in 2013, and whilst no evidence of poison has been found in his remains a forensic specialist from the University of Murcia says that his team have discovered something that they believe might be laboratory-cultivated bacteria in the samples they have tested. This sample needs further analysis, and has been sent to laboratories in Canada and Norway, results are not expected for between 6 months to a year.

One thing they can say for certain is that the cause of death noted on his death certificate is 100% inaccurate. This announcement comes at the end of a six-year inquiry into the death of Neruda Pinochet is documented as having used bacteria golden staph, against any disidents.

Some circles have been quick to point out the similarities between the details of Neruda’s death and the assassination of Eduardo Frei Montalva the former president of Chile. Both were treated in the same clinic by the same medical team. In August of this year a group of 6 people, including 3 of those doctors who saw both men were charged with the murder of Frei, the leading opposition to Pinochet.

Foyle Young Poets of the Year 2017

A 16-year-old from Carlisle in the UK has beaten over 6000 other young poets to be named as one of the top 15 winner of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year 2017; one of the world’s largest literary competitions.

Ruby Evans was one of just 15 winners chosen by the judges Sinéad Morrissey and Kayo Chingonyi. The judges also commended a further 85 poets from over 6000 entries, in total they received 11,000 poems from around 89 different countries.

Ruby, who is in year 12 and has only been writing poetry for a year counts Kim Moore and Basil Bunting amongst her influences.

Poetry in Advertising

Even Calvin Klein are jumping on the poetry bandwagon. One of their most recent adverts, which finds Jake Gyllenhaal advertising a new fragrance Eternity, sees Jake “the dad” reading poetry to his “son”.

In the advert which is to be part of a series of short films Gyllenhaal reads “I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) by E.E Cummings.