This week on My Poetic Side, we begin with a look at Michael Rosen’s Covid enquiry poem, the winner of the Latner Griffin Writers’ Trust Poetry Prize and the poet on the cover of Vogue.

Covid Enquiry Poem by Michael Rosen

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the writer and poet Michael Rosen spent 48 days in intensive care as a result of contracting the virus. In light of the chilling evidence that has come to light during the government’s Covid enquiry, he has felt the need to put pen to paper in response to some of the statements that have been made.

Those who follow the social media posts of Rosen will be no strangers to his feelings about former Prime Minister Boris Johnson (and if you are not following him, then you are missing out). But with reports telling us that there was talk about “casualties” and Johnson reportedly saying, “so be it”  and “have had a good innings”, it isn’t too hard to see why he might feel this way.

Not only did Rosen spend 48 days in intensive care, but he has been left mostly blind in his left eye and mostly deaf in his left ear. He had to learn to walk again, and his recovery was a very long and slow one. He is one of those who got to live, and he is grateful beyond measure for the work of the doctors and nurses who helped not just him but the tens of thousands of others who suffered. It is his Covid inheritance and the shocking evidence coming from the enquiry that has led to his poem, which we reproduce below:

Winner of the 2023 Latner Griffin Writers’ Trust Poetry Prize Announced

Laisha Rosnau, a Coldstream poet, has been awarded the Latner Griffin Writers’ Trust Poetry Prize of $60,000. This is a prestigious prize that is awarded on an annual basis to poet who is Canadian, is at a mid-career point and who has published three or more poetry collections that have been well-received by the literary community.

In 2005, Rosnau was awarded the Acorn-Plantos People’s Award for her work “Notes on Leaving”. She has also published “Lousy Explorers”. This brought her to the finalists list for the Pat Lowther Award, and she also received a nomination for the Raymond Souster Award for “Pluck”. In addition to her poetry, she has also written a novel.

Rosnau currently works teaching poetry and fiction at a number of colleges and universities.

A Poet on the Cover of Vogue

The December issue of Vogue will be taking a look at the ideas of tradition and revolution in Britain in the 21st century. The poet and performer Kae Tempest will be appearing on the front cover and has written a poem exploring the topic.

While this is the first time a poet has appeared on the cover of British Vogue, Kae Tempest is not the first poet to have appeared on Vogue; Amanda Gorman’s 2021 cover has that honour.