The Friday Poem

A poem every Friday

Features

And blue things

And blue things

Helena Nelson and Hilary Menos discuss With My Back to the World by Victoria Chang (Corsair, 2024)
Engraving of Phillis Wheatley, a black woman wearing a bonnet and holding a quill pen.

An 18th-Century Genius in Bondage

Vincent Carretta takes a look at the remarkable life of Phillis Wheatley
Black and white photograph of Katherine

Looking for something, something, something

Castaway poet Katherine Towers chooses poems by Wallace Stevens, Alice Oswald and Elizabeth Bishop
A fancy proscenium arch on a stage in gold and red. Underneath on the stage are a man and a woman in Arabic dress.

Poetry for the people

Bruno Cooke investigates Million's Poet, a reality television show in the UAE with massive cash prizes
The Manuscripts of Emily Dickinson

The Manuscripts of Emily Dickinson

Mike Kelly explores highlights from the Amherst College Emily Dickinson collection
Seven women sitting on a sofa.

The complete story

Nadia Kabir Barb gives us The Whole Kahani, a collective of British fiction writers of South Asian origin
Photos of Nell and Hilary. Both looking studious.

Five Forward poems under the microscope

Helena Nelson and Hilary Menos discuss the five poems shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem (Written)
A pink square-shaped speech bubble on a dark blue background.

The hairier I am, the sexier I feel

Bruno Cooke ranks the five poems shortlisted for the Jerwood Prize for Best Single Poem – Performed 2024
Close up black and white photograph of a woman's face. She is looking down.

Reminiscing and joking and putting the world to rights

Bruno Cooke talks to Georgie Jones, the poet who found success via Instagram and TikTok
Quote on the poem page. "If then the teeth, designed for various use, Decay and ache, 'tis only from abuse; And lo, triumphant art can well ensure, At least a remedy, if not cure.

Dentologia: A Poem on the Diseases of the Teeth (1833)

Hunter Dukes on an eighty page poem by 'The Poet Laureate of Dentistry'
A photograph of a bearded man with wild greying hair. The words 'LIFE'S ALWAYS BEEN A BATTLE BETWEEN DEAD POETS AND LIVING' are superimposed in white text.

Making sense of an often-meaningless world

Bruno Cooke talks to Darby Hudson, the bearded Australian poet in the cuddly jumper
Photograph of Katrina walking on a beach wearing a round black hat. (photo Joe Grabham).

Evoking the Natural World

Rowan Bell talks to Katrina Porteous about the power of dialect words, plagiarism, and writing for radio