Great Regulars: "For many years the poetry world

has belonged to older writers. Few young poets were published and fewer were nominated for major prizes. An invitation to a poetry reading conjured thoughts of warm white wine in a pokey bookshop," claim the editors. Really? What about Simon Armitage, who published his first collection at 26, Owen Sheers (ditto), or Kathleen Jamie (aged 20)? What about Carol Ann Duffy, whose first collection came out when she was in her teens? Or Pollard and Byrne themselves, who brought out their debuts at 20 and 26 respectively?

from Sarah Crown: The Guardian: Voice Recognition: 21 Poets for the 21st Century edited by James Byrne and Clare Pollard

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