Poetry@Leeds News: Autumn 2025
Poetry@Leeds (previously the Leeds University Poetry Centre) is the University's longstanding hub for research, impact and teaching in poetry. The work of Poetry@Leeds members and our activities reflect the powerful insights – across disciplines, time periods, languages and cultures – to be gained from researching and writing poetry in a university environment.
Professor Kimberly Campanello has recently taken up the Directorship following years of visionary work by former Director Professor John Whale. Poetry@Leeds is managed by Matt Howard (former Douglas Caster Fellow).
A selection of recent news:
JR Carpenter was shortlisted for the Laurel Prize for her book Measures of Weather (Shearsman), and Matt Howard won the ASLE-UKI Book Prize for his book Broadlands. Simon Armitage released his latest collection New Cemetery.
Zaffar Kunial’s ‘The Groundsman’ featured on the History of England in 24 Poems (BBC Radio 4). Kimberly Campanello appeared on BBC Radio 4 The Verb with Ian McMillan talking about her versioning of Dante’s Commedia.
Practice-led postgraduate researcher Sarah Dawson completed her PhD.
In Singapore, John Whale read from his forthcoming collection alongside poets Madeleine Lee, Angie Mazakis on a panel convened by Singapore Writers Festival Director Yong Shu Hoong.
Our work with the New Northern Poets/Word Up North mentoring project features in a new podcast series.
We hosted two powerful events celebrating 40 years of Peepal Tree Press on the University campus in Brotherton Cultural Collections and the Workshop Theatre.
We welcomed Cheney Creative Fellow Tammy Lai-Ming Ho, co-hosted with the Leeds Centre for New Chinese Writing.
Literary Archivist for the Brotherton Cultural Collections Sarah Prescott and Professors Armitage and Whale paid tribute to Leeds poet Tony Harrison (1937-2025) and reflected upon the value of the Tony Harrison archive held at the University.
We launched the Brotherton Prize Anthology, with readings by the winner Dillon Jaxx, shortlisted poets, and judge Simon Armitage, UK Poet Laureate and Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds.
Join us for our upcoming activities:
Dec 10: Online launch of Fiona Becket’s monograph Contemporary Visual Poetry: Women Writing the Posthuman (Routledge). Sign up to attend online.
9-11 June 2026: Poetry@Leeds is hosting Poetry’s Environments, a major international conference, bringing together industry professionals, organisations, poets and academics, including events produced in partnership with Leeds Literature Festival and the National Poetry Centre. The proposal submission deadline is Dec 5.