Today we take a look at the birthday celebration for Norman Nicholson, the poems removed from a website and finally the poetry that will now be against the law.

Poet’s Birthday Celebration

January 8^th marks the birthdate of the poet Norman Nicholson. Born in 1914 Nicholson who hailed from Millom in the Lake District would have been 106. The home where he lived in St George’s Terrace, Millom will ring out with poetry to mark the occasion.

Nicholson lived in Millom all his life, but gained something of an international reputation. He won several major awards and much of his work was translated into a number of foreign languages.

The event is being run by the Norman Nicholson Society and there will be a series of poems read to celebrate the life of the poet. These poems will be of particular relevance to the poet’s home – the concept behind the celebration is that people will be able to hear the poets own words, spoken in the place where he spent much of his time.

Poems Removed from Parliamentary Poet Laureate Website

In a continuation of the story we brought you yesterday about the poet Stephen Brown (also known as Steven Kummerfield) it has been confirmed that two poems by Brown have now been removed from the Canadian parliamentary poet laureate website.

There was a large amount of public concern regarding the poems in the wake of the lecture that was due to have been given by the poet George Elliott Clarke. Complaints were registered regarding the disrespect that was shown to Browns victim as well as other Indigenous girls and women who have gone missing or been murdered.

The poems were added to the website by George Elliott Clarke in 2017 during his stint as the poet laureate linked to the parliament. As part of the role, Clarke was responsible for selecting a “pome of the month” in order to showcase poetry written by Canadian poets.

At the time Clarke suggested that he saw similarities between the work of Brown and Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg the American beat poets. He also referred to him as an “avant-garde poet”.

The poems were removed from the website on the recommendation of the parliamentary librarian following a meeting at which the Speaker of the Senate and several other officials agreed that it was the most appropriate course of action. Their removal was supported by Clarke.

It has however been insinuated by The First Nations Family Advocate who represents the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs that the poems were only removed as the library was forced to make the appropriate moves. The big question remains as to why the poems, which should never have been there in the first place were supported in this way.

Poems on Buses

Authorities in Kathmandu have come under ridicule for the most recent change that they have made to the law. The Department of Transport Management has said that quirky verses written on the back of any public vehicle will no longer be allowed as they are one of the biggest causes of road accidents in the country.

The form of amateur poetry has been incredibly popular, and they believe it is this, rather than the state of the roads, which is to blame for a dramatic increase in road traffic accidents.