Poems Please Me
Editor & publisher: Tony French
E-mail admin: via Enquiries page
Full address: Knapp, Dunkeswell, Honiton EX14 4RN
By the same editor: War & Peace & the Price of Cat Food (a Londoner’s WWII diary). Also webmaster for Fire River Poets based in Taunton, Somerset, UK.
Links to UK Poetry Groups
Local groups often affiliated to The Poetry Society
The Poetry Library, UK
www.poetrylibrary.org.uk An excellent national resource, online and on location. This is the Saison Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Poetry Collection at Southbank Centre. There is an electronic archive of every known UK poetry magazine, and you can subscribe to a regular newsletter giving recent poetry publications received, poetry events throughout the UK, competitions, major/small press/ebook publishers listed, and so on.
Scottish Poetry Library
The SPL in Edinburgh is one of three poetry libraries in the UK, but the only one to be independently constituted and housed. It is the only poetry house in the world to have an extensive lending library at its core. The SPL has over 2,000 registered borrowers.
Poetry Ireland. ‘Connecting poetry and people. We are committed to achieving excellence in the reading, writing and performance of poetry throughout the island of Ireland. Poetry Ireland receives support from The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and we enjoy rewarding partnerships with arts centres, festivals, schools, colleges and bookshops at home and abroad.’ Regular informative newsletter. Visit website.
Northern Poetry Library
The NPL in Morpeth, Northumberland, UK houses some 15,000 volumes.
Poetry International
Poetry International The Poetry International Festival, Rotterdam, a meeting of many languages and cultures. Access over 1,000 articles from more than 80 countries.
The Poetry Society, UK
www.poetrysociety.org.uk “Our mission is to advance the study, use and enjoyment of poetry.” Founded 1909, this UK charity has nearly 4,000 members worldwide. Publishes the quarterly magazine Poetry Review (128-page) and quarterly members’ newsletter Poetry News (8-page newspaper format). Any poetry group can apply to be listed as a ‘Stanza’ of the Society.
Poetry Foundation, USA
www.poetryfoundation.org The Poetry Foundation, based in Chicago, publisher of Poetry magazine (monthly except bi-monthly July/Aug), is an independent organization “committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. We exist to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience.” -More about Poetry Foundation here. Browse literally thousands of catalogued poems via the website, receive a poem every day by e-mail, listen to audio tracks, read in-depth critical reviews of poems. An incredible and well-organised resource.
Academy of American Poets
Browse thousands of biographies of poets and poems, essays about poetry, and ‘some of the most important books, anthologies, and textbooks about the art form ever written.’ Plus Poem-a-Day of new (weekday) and classic (weekends) poems via browser or e-mail. And much else. Details here: www.poets.org
The Poetry Society of America
‘The oldest poetry organization’ in the USA, founded in New York in 1910 by prominent poets, professors, editors, and passionate readers of poetry who were distinguished in other fields. We present fifty to sixty programs annually, an award-winning Chapbook Fellowship Program, and our signature national program, Poetry in Motion, which has reached tens of millions in its seventeen-year history. ‘We aim to place poetry at the crossroads of American life.’ Details here – PSA
Poetry Book Society, UK
Founded by T S Eliot and friends in 1953, the Poetry Book Society is a unique poetry society, providing information, guidance and discounts on the best contemporary poetry for a wide-ranging community of readers. The PBS is the biggest dedicated poetry bookseller in the UK.
The Poetry Society (India) 4,000 years of tradition and 20 languages – now including English.
New Zealand Poetry Society stroke a Kiwi
New Zealand Electronic Poetry Centre NZEPC
Poetry New Zealand The International Journal
Fun & games
Acrostic… poem, backronym and mnemonic creation. Fast & fun.
More links
The editor of this website also looks after the site of Fire River Poets which has a UK list based on, but going beyond, those show here.