Congratulations Carol Ann Duffy

Although I said (In my last post) that I wanted the Post to go to Roger McGough, I am pleased that it has gone to Carol Ann Duffy.

She is a great poet and a fine ambassodor, she will, I am sure, do the role well.

So Congratu;ations to our new Poet Laureate.

Laureatically Speaking

As the Day approaches when Andrew Motion and his notebook will no longer be welcome at the Palace to drink tea and discuss, rhyme, meter and metaphor and how it applies to the modern Royal Family, there is much speculation as to whom the role will be awarded to next.

William Hill’s odds for the next Laureate can be found here, there is a campaign to ensure that the next laureate is a female and Wendy Cope still has high odds despite the fact that she has scorned the role itself and said that she would not accept it if it was offered…

So as L-Day approaches and the excitement reaches fever pitch, due to an unprecedented state of affairs existing, never has a fixed term Laureate come to the end of the tenure. Before Mr Motion, the reason you left the Laureateship was when you breathed your last, but when Mr Motion leaves he will be breathing and I hope this is the case for many years to come…

So what do I want to happen? Well, I would like them to update the position so that the future Laureate will be an ambassador for British poetry as a whole, not just someone who tosses off the odd rhyme for a family that anyone would find it hard to write about, but that is not going to happen. So I would like it to go to Roger McGough, I think he deserves it, he is a wonderful word-juggler who would do the role justice and he is the reason, probably, that I write poetry. (Although this in itself is not reason to give it to him.)

But I do not just want it to be awarded to him, I would like a chain of events to take place that sees Roger McGough receive the award.

In 1999 Tony ‘Part of the Rock’N’Roll Generation’ Blair, did not want Carol Ann Duffy to be Laureate because, of her sexuality, so I hope she is offered the post and she tells them that, ‘You didn’t want me last time so Sod off.’. Then it is awarded to Wendy Cope who tells them, ‘Did you not hear what I said?’ and then after much embarrassment, they decide to offer it to Mr McGough who was the best person for the role in the first place…

Apparently Carol Ann Duffy has been offered the role so we will see…

Poet Laureate

With Andrew Motion's term as UK Poet Laureate up next year, I'm wondering what odds the bookies are offering for his successor, and more specifically what odds they would offer for me obtaining the role.

1000 – 1: I would hope or more. Quite simply because:

1) My reputation is not as big as I would like

2) I would turn down the role as I do not think I would do it justice. I find the idea of being official poet to the Royal Family quite dull and therefore un-do-able.

Now I do believe that any poet worth their salt should be able to find beauty or humour in the mundane, but the Royal Family, please… I can't imagine writing poetry about weddings, like the ones I was forced to watch as a child, or someone's 21st or coronations and other events I have nothing to do with. I think I could write about the events that the Royal Family would rather forget.

For instance Harry's Fancy Dress Party:

When Harry dressed up as a Nazi

The tabloids they did cry

It's not a toy

You stupid boy

They caused many people to die.

Or… Who could forget Andrew Motion's Rap regarding Prince William's 21st Birthday? Well I'm trying to but the therapy is not working, I still hear it late at night… AAAARGH!!!!!!!!

But why was there no rap to commemorate his recent splitting with his girlfriend?

I'm going to be King at a future date… Kate.

So I hope you appreciate… Kate.

That this must cease its Fate… Kate.

No Good excuse I can Create… Kate.

My Apologies I would like to state… Kate.

I could also write a Rap about them getting back together but that would be far too painful.

See I do have a knack for this sort of thing, or not as the case may be.

So who do I think should be the next Poet Laureate? Well my main choice would be between Roger McGough and Wendy Cope, both excellent poets who would do the job proud, although I would like to see them offer it to Benjamin Zephaniah as I read he would turn it down, and I would hope his turning down of this would be as public as his turning down of his OBE.
I do believe the role could be an exceptionally important role and I do hope it is thought out and re-evaluated.