EDITORIAL

Next Generation and beyond

POETRY is opening up. With the announcement in June of the ‘Next Generation’ list of ‘most exciting poets’ of the era, it’s a welcome relief to see women in the majority (with 11 of 20, see p7). For decades, the ratio of women to men has hovered around or below the one-third mark in the Forward and TS Eliot shortlists, making a woman at the winning post a rarity. The last ‘New Gen’ list from 1994 contained a not-too-bad eight of 20 – but this year’s selection, we hope, marks a turning point. Because this isn’t just about numbers. At stake is the health of the poetry scene – it’s about bringing hybrid vigour to inbred stock. For this reason, we’re glad the list isn’t all ‘heavyweights’ and includes those who have made their mark on the performance circuit, whose writing is often dismissed by critics.

It is inevitable every poetry fan
will miss their favourites; where, for example, are Kate Clanchy and Polly Clark? (both in Mslexia’s ‘Top 10’, Issue 20). I was delighted to find one of Polly’s poems selected by Selima Hill, anonymously, in the Women’s Poetry Competition (see pp26-41). Yet no list or competition is definitive; as Selima found, at a certain level of quality, you must choose the poems that speak to you. And as it comes down to taste, it is vital the poetry scene is a variegated and vibrant one that appeals across a range. So be eclectic: seek out fresh voices, go to local readings, buy pamphlets from tiny presses; whatever you like. Keep poetry alive.

Melanie Ashby
Deputy Editor