TUC president and POA leader STEVE GILLAN speaks to Ben Chacko on the eve of Congress 2026
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Write on the money: Poets for Corbyn anthology is paean to a defender of the arts
Poets are nailing their political colours to the mast – and they’re red for Corbyn, writes Russell Bennetts for Well Versed
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WHATEVER the result on Saturday, Jeremy Corbyn has already been confirmed as the poets’ choice for Labour leader. The man himself, like a latter-day John Betjeman, has even been writing his own poetry during campaign train rides.
I put together the anthology Poets for Corbyn as a sign of solidarity with this most radical of candidates. There was overwhelming enthusiasm for the book from almost all of the poets I approached. The mix of contributors hopefully reflects the broad-based support that Corbyn has been able to amass.
Politics and poetry have always been intertwined, indeed many popular poems are more political than some readers may realise — from Allen Ginsberg’s Howl to much of William Blake’s work. Political poems employ all manner of devices, although those expecting a paean to allotments to feature in our effort may be disappointed. However, we did include Corbyn’s famous beard and beloved bicycle on two of the alternative book covers.
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