Appointed Poet Laureate in 2019, Simon is a celebrated poet, lyricist, and translator who also writes for theatre, television and radio.
Armitage’s numerous awards include the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. He has published over a dozen poetry collections including Seeing Stars, The Unaccompanied, and New Cemetery. His book Magnetic Field: The Marsden Poems centres on the moorland village where he grew up in West Yorkshire. Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic features his public commissions, some of which are carved into the landscape.
‘Poems full of a winning, pleasurable charm’
The Guardian on Dwell
Armitage’s acclaimed verse translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has sold over 100,000 copies and his colour-illustrated poetry editions Blossomise and Dwell were Sunday Times bestsellers. His exhilarating version of the ancient verse adventure-tale Gilgamesh is due out in October.
A regular broadcaster, Armitage presented the popular BBC Radio 4 series The Poet Laureate has Gone to his Shed. His new podcast The Shed is available online now. He contributes to Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour, BBC Radio 6 Music. Armitage also writes, records, and performs with the band LYR and has received an Ivor Novello Award for his song writing. His book Never Good with Horses features his song lyrics for the first time.
An award-winning dramatist, his play The Last Days of Troy was performed at Shakespeare’s Globe. He is also the author of two novels and three non-fiction bestsellers: All Points North, Walking Home, and Walking Away.
Armitage is Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds.
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Image credit: Paul Stuart