11 November 2023, St Mary's, Islington, 7pm
Contraflow poets, Contraflow
Join us on the 11th of November at St Mary's church, Islington, to launch Contraflow: Lines of Englishness 1922–2022 as part of the Poetry Above the Crypt series.
Confirmed readers currently include:
John Challis, Kate Clanchy, David Clarke, Julia Copus, Peter Daniels, Rishi Dastidar, Stuart Henson, Holly Hopkins, Mimi Khalvati, Gregory Leadbetter, Katrina Naomi, Ruth Padel, Robert Selby, Tom Sastry, Elisabeth Sennitt Clough, George Szirtes, Rory Waterman and Rebecca Watts.
The event is free and open to all – no need to book, but please do help us spread the word! – at St Mary's Church, Islington, 7–9.30 pm.
Donation suggested to Hospice Care, Kenya.
This event has now passed. Please see our events page for forthcoming events.
ContraflowContraflow poets
Poets have grappled with the vexed question of what constitutes Englishness since time immemorial, and the poetry of the past century has seen perhaps some of the biggest evolutions in national identity.
Contraflow takes a completely new approach to the subject of Englishness, and in this stimulating and entertaining anthology two poetic currents flow against each other, so that different decades merge, well-known stanzas brushing shoulders with more neglected verse.
What emerges is an extraordinary mosaic of poetic responses to English history, culture and landscape – satirical, visionary, lyrical, comic, political, meditative – yet one which offers a recognisable picture of a land both united and divided through a hundred years.