In Defence of Poetry:
The debate
Dear poets and friends,
The Leeds Salon is to host a debate on the removal of Carol Ann Duffy's poem 'Education for Leisure' from the school curriculum.
Should children be protected from controversial literature? Should works be studied because of their literary merit or as springboards to discuss particular issues? Should students be taught to analyse poems in order to understand their meaning or should they be asked to provide a personal response? How important should poetry be in teaching English? Who should determine the content of the school curriculum and according to what criteria? What are the roles of the poet, the critic, the teacher and the reader in upholding the importance of poetry? And what, if any, is the role of government?
The speakers will be George Szirtes, Ronan McDonald, Andrew McMillan and Michele Ledda; and the debate will be chaired by Wes Brown.
The event is sponsored by The Poetry Business, and held in partnership with The Cadaverine magazine.
DATE: Wednesday 10 March 2010, 6:15pm (for a 6:30 start) to 8:30pm
VENUE: Conference Room 1, The Carriageworks, Millennium Square, Leeds, LS2 3AD
Places are limited, so please contact the Leeds Salon directly if you are planning to attend.
Best wishes
from all at The Poetry Business
The Poetry Business receives financial assistance from Arts Council England.
