Audio and Flash Poems - Literature - British Council

Click here to see a flash movie of the poem I Would Like To Be A Dot In A Painting By Miro by Moniza Alvi

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Produced in partnership with Bloodaxe Books, this is a new series of recordings of contemporary poetry. Each two-hour double cassette is a Poetry Quartet of four poets reading and talking about their work, each with a half-hour selection. We have selected a number of poems from a range of poets in the series (around 6 or 7 minutes of audio for each) for you to listen to. You can read all the featured poems here, and view one of the poems made into a flash movie here. To hear more poems by other poets featured in this series visit our Poetry Quartets page.

Simon Armitage - Hydra

Simon Armitage was born in Huddersfield, England, in 1963 and has established himself as a voice of his generation. 'Hydra' appears in Poetry Quartets 1 and his 1997 collection Cloudcuckooland.

Real Player	Intro	Poem
	23 seconds	36 seconds

Media Player	Intro	Poem
	23 seconds	36 seconds

Fleur Adcock - Things

Fleur Adcock was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1934, but spent much of her childhood and working life in England. 'Things' is featured on Poetry Quartets 2, and can also be found in Poems 1960-2000, a collected edition of her works.

Real Player	Intro	Poem
	13 seconds	22 seconds

Media Player	Intro	Poem
	13 seconds	22 seconds

helen dunmore - those shady girls

Helen Dunmore is another native of Yorkshire, this time born in Beverley in 1952. She has worked as a teacher and as a writer, reader and performer of poetry as well as contributing to arts debate in the press and on radio. 'Those Shady Girls' is taken from Poetry Quartets 5.

Real Player	Intro	Poem
	47 seconds	46 seconds

Media Player	Intro	Poem
	47 seconds	46 seconds

jackie kay - in my country

Jackie Kay was born in Scotland in 1961 and grew up as the adopted child of white parents. Her work often deals with issues of identity and she has written books and poems for children as well as adults. 'In My Country' can be found on Poetry Quartets 1.

Real Player	Intro	Poem
	33 seconds	32 seconds

Media Player	Intro	Poem
	33 seconds	32 seconds

glyn maxwell - stargazing

Glyn Maxwell was born in 1962 in Welwyn Garden City. He has taught poetry and drama at prestigious colleges across America, and his much-lauded work has been performed on stage and radio. 'Stargazing' appears on Poetry Quartets 1.

Real Player	Intro	Poem
	41 seconds	70 seconds

Media Player	Intro	Poem
	41 seconds	70 seconds