In our last poetry news round up of 2024, we take a look at Juan Felipe Herrera talking about migration and poetry, the MI5 Christmas poem and the anniversary of the birth of Mirza Ghalib.
Former Poet Laureate Discusses Migrant Experience
Born on 27th December 1948, Juan Felipe Herrera is a performer, poet, writer, teacher and activist. He was also the United States Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017 and the 2024 recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant.
The migrant experience, which is a significant part of the culture of America, is a big inspiration to Herrera in his writing. And, in light of the vows made by the President-elect, Donald Trump to conduct “the largest deportation”, it has never been more important.
Herrera says that poetry has an important role to play when it comes to exposure. It is a literary approach that people can connect with. Poetry can, he claims, be learned from a very early age and found readily in most libraries. Poetry can also be used to talk about how people feel and is a good ay of expressing oneself. One thing he is also keen to point out if that it is important not to be silent or indifferent because when this happens suffering continues then it expands and finally violence bursts out. Poetry is a good way of giving a voice to those who are often overlooked.
Christmas Poem Narrated for the Real MI5
The star of “Slow Horses”, Gary Oldman has narrated a very well-known poem for the MI5. He performed Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” whilst in the character of Jackson Lamb,
Whilst Christmas often sees several recordings of poetry readings being released, particularly those read by famous individuals, this one is a little different. The contemporary take on the narrative of the poem was tapped by MI5 for its social media channels under the title “A Christmas Story from MI5. It featured several of their agents, with their identities concealed of course at work in the agency’s London office.
Narrating as Lamb, Olman reads:
The clip then goes on to confirm that all the staff at MI5 will be working over the Christmas period to keep the UK safe from any threats to national security and to with the UK a “very merry Christmas and a happy new year”.
Tribute Paid to Mirza Ghalib on His Birth Anniversary
On the occasion of his birth anniversary, the poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar took to social media to pay tribute to Mirza Ghalib the legendary poet who was born on 27th December 1797.
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