Transport for London (TfL) brings live poetry readings to Covent Garden station on Monday 24 February, to mark six new poems to be featured on London Underground, London Overground and Elizabeth line trains.
Featured poets, Niall Campbell, Imtiaz Dharker and Foyle Young Poet Lewis Corry, will read their poems, as well as TfL staff who are budding poets. Scottish writer and poet, Niall
Campbell will record and perform his poem February Morning, plus some other poems from fellow Scottish poets, and Lewis Corry, will record and perform his poem
2013, Daedalus never moved away for work, at the station. In addition, Imtiaz Dharker, poet, artist and video film-maker and part of Poems on the Underground, will participate in the poetry reading.
Campbell’s and Corry’s poems are two of six poems that have been selected for this spring’s collection of Poems on the Underground.
Mark Evers, TfL’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “Poems on the Underground has been inspiring and entertaining customers travelling for almost 40 years since the first posters appeared on the London Underground in 1986, and we hope our customers enjoy the latest set of poems launching on our network. It is a pleasure for us to launch these with a poetry reading at Covent Garden station alongside our own staff, and we are sure these will be a hit with customers attending.”
Judith Chernaik, Founder of Poems on the Underground, said: “These poems are strongly international, with recent work by the dissident Chinese poet Bei Dao, the Indian poet Sujata Bhatt and the Chinese-American poet Li-Young Lee. The poems share common themes as they celebrate life and love, freedom and hope, as spring returns.”
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said:
“Poems on the Underground are much loved by Londoners and visitors alike, bringing inspiration to our daily travels for four decades.
“Covent Garden is the perfect backdrop to bring them to life through these live readings. Six new poems will be performed by the commissioned poets, as well as budding poets who work on our transport network – showing that poetry is for everyone and helping us build a better London for all.”
