BBC Local Poets in 2016

June 20, 2017

BBC Local Radio and the Forward Arts Foundation, along with the 40 stations of BBC local radio in England, marked National Poetry Day 2016 by each broadcasting a poem commissioned from 40 #BBCLocalPoets.

Each poet adopted the voice of a characteristic local landmark or mascot: from Lincolnshire sausage (Gemma Baker, BBC Radio Lincolnshire) to Essex’s infamous A12 (Luke Wright, BBC Radio Suffolk).

Poet Bridie Squire’s poem of poems, a lyrical mapping of the English landscape, wove elements from the different commissions into a new work.

A Message from Home | Bridie Squire

You can see a selection of the local poems below, or on the BBC’s website.

Essex | Luke Wright

Sheffield | Rachel Bower

Oxford | Lucy Ayrton

Derby | Dan Webber

Nottingham | Georgina Wilding

Gloucestershire | Peter Wyton

You can find the full complement of BBC Local Poets on the dedicated BBC webpageFind the BBC Local Poet that represented your area.