About The Poetry Hour: The Poetry of The First World War
Some of the finest and most moving poetry in the English language was written during The Great War of 1914 – 1918.
This programme of readings by leading actors was curated by the late novelist and poetry anthologist Josephine Hart.
It is a rich and varied selection of timeless poems from the Great War, both timeless and lesser known; and includes works by Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas, W.B. Yeats, Helen Mackay, Claude Burton, Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, Edmund Blunden, Gilbert Frankau, Herbert Read, Philip Johnstone, Rose Macaulay, Isaac Rosenberg, Captain Cyril Morton Horne, Vera Brittain, Eleanor Farjeon, Margaret Postgate Cole, Alfred Noyes, May Wedderburn Cannan and Rudyard Kipling.
The readers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Presented by The Josephine Hart Poetry Foundation in association with the British Library and the Eccles Institute for the Americas at the British Library.
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The Poetry Hour
The Poetry Hour was founded by novelist and poetry anthologist Josephine Hart. Launched as The Gallery Poets in Mayfair in the mid-1980s, it later became The Poetry Hour and won fame for bringing classic ‘great poetry read aloud by great actors’ to a wide audience. The British Library has supported Josephine Hart’s mission from 2004 and continues to do so in her memory on a regular basis.
About the Eccles Institute
The Eccles Institute builds, curates and preserves the Americas and Oceania contemporary collection at the Library and champions knowledge and understanding of these regions through a rich programme of fellowships and awards, cultural events, research training, guides to the collections and initiatives for schools.
For more information about the Institute and our collections, visit our webpage or contact eccles-institute@bl.uk. To see more events relating to the Eccles Institute, visit our events page.
Venue and bar opening times
This event will take place in the British Library Knowledge Centre and is also available to watch online. Tickets may be booked to attend in person, or to watch online.
If you are attending in person, please note that the Knowledge Centre and the bar will be open in advance of your event.
Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event. If you have specific access requirements please email customer@bl.uk
Attending the event online
If you book an online ticket, you will receive the viewing link on the morning of the event. You can either watch the event live or during the next 14 days on catch up.
Concessions
There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, Young Persons (16 – 25s), and visitors on Universal/Pension Credit and free entry for carers.
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