StAnza 2011 poet Natasha Trethewey appointed US Poet Laureate

Natasha Trethewey: Photo image © Matt Valentine

StAnza folk were delighted to hear that Natasha Trethewey has been appointed US Poet Laureate. Natasha appeared at StAnza 2011 and her elegant, passionate poetry was a highlight of last year’s memorable festival. She teaches creative writing at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia and previous plaudits include the Pulitzer Prize for her poetry collection,  Native Guard, which explored the impact of the Civil War.  The Mississippi-born African-American poet is currently poet laureate of  that state. She is a chronicler of the American South, and her recent work includes a non-fiction book, Beyond Katrina, A Meditation on the Gulf Coast. Her poetry touches upon the personal and political and this comment by James H Billington of the Library of Congress (the body which appoints the Poet Laureate) sums her impact the best. ‘Her poems dig beneath the surface of history — personal or communal, from childhood or from a century ago — to explore the human struggles that we all face.’ You can hear her reading a poem at StAnza here

Poets win major Costa prizes

Congratulations to Carol Ann Duffy for winning the Costa Prize for Poetry with her new collection, The Bees, the first published since she became Poet Laureate. StAnzagoers will recall her outstanding readings – which were sell-outs – at the festival in 2009. And congratulations to Matthew Hollis, whose acclaimed biography of Edward Thomas won the Costa Prize for Biography. Two poets have won prizes, but four have been honoured in a sense, if you include Thomas and the American poet Robert Frost, who also appears in the book. Matthew will be at StAnza in March, in conversation with Scotsman columnist Joyce McMillan about Edward Thomas, Frost and their important literary friendship. Tickets for StAnza go on sale 11 January.

Photo of Matthew Hollis by Claire McNamee.