Selected poems 19892014 by simon armitage faber, 248pp, telegraph offer price. Poet simon armitage thought it would be fun to walk the pennine way, funding. Now, armitage s reputation as one of the nations most original, most respected and most influential poets seems secure. He earned a ba from portsmouth university in geography, and an ms in social work from manchester university, where he studied the impact of televised violence on young offenders. Armitage wanted that, but also, to write a book about the north, one. Written by simon armitage, narrated by simon armitage. Travels with a troubadour on the pennine way by simon armitage faber. Growing up in marsden, he remembers backpackers ending the first leg of the walk from edale and looking for food and accommodation in the village.
Simon armitage has 100 books on goodreads with 20722 ratings. A sunday times top ten bestseller and shortlisted for 2012 portico prize. Simon armitage books list of books by author simon armitage. Walking home by simon armitage an account of walking the. Simon armitage at the scottish national portrait gallery. In the issue of 5 june, the final line of simon armitages poem the ram was swallowed by our computer. The not dead is a short collection of poems originally aired on a channel 4 documentary film of the same name, shown in the winter of 2007. Reading from his new book, walking home, armitage recounts his trek along the 256 miles of the pennine way. The challenging 256mile route is usually approached from south to north, from edale in the peak district to kirk yetholm, the other side of the scottish border. Walking home by simon armitage walking home the pennine way is not a book of poems from this famous poet but a personal account of simon armitages experience, walking one of the toughest climbs in britain. When simon armitage burst on to the poetry scene in 1989 with his spectacular debut zoom. Black roses by simon armitage in the early hours of saturday 11th august 2007, sophie lancaster and robert maltby were walking home through stubbylee park in bacup, lancashire, when they were attacked by a group of local teenagers. Simon armitages first collection, zoom, appeared in 1989, published by bloodaxe.
Apr 18, 2012 walking home blends observations floral, ornithological and geological, with memoir, travel narrative and the words of a few poems armitage composed en route. This summer sees publication of walking away, the follow up to his bestselling memoir walking home. Simon armitage s first recording for the poetry archive was made on 12th july 2005 at the audio workshop, london, while his second was made at the soundhouse, london on 28th july 2016. After an introduction by irish poet john mcauliffe, armitage stepped up to the microphone and began the evening with a poem written about the central library itself, before speaking about his latest book, walking away. He undertook this task, a walk that stretched about 256 miles, in the summer of 2010. Oct 11, 2014 in the summer of 2010 the british poet simon armitage decided to have, at age 47, his midlife crisis. In 1992 he was winner of one of the first forward prizes, and a year later was the sunday times young writer of the year. This new work is an entrancing allegorical tale of grief and lost love, as the narrator is led on a dantean journey through sorrow to redemption by his vanished beloved, pearl. In the summer of 2010 the british poet simon armitage decided to have, at age 47, his midlife crisis. To help finish it off, he asked me to stand on its throat, as a friend might ask a friend.
The two volumes of poet simon armitages account of his walks on the pennine way and south west coast path, reciting his poetry. Jul 06, 2012 all these are present in simon armitage s equally entertaining walking home, an account of the poets attempt on britains most gruelling trail, the 256mile pennine way, as he tramps it the. He earned a ba from portsmouth university in geography, and an. He was appointed poet laureate in 2019, succeeding carol ann duffy. Walking home is the chronicle of his three weeks walk along the approximately 267 miles of the pennine way through northern england, hosted by mostly strangers each night, and giving. The guardian the walk is serious, but armitage knows how to have fun along the way. Simon armitage s most popular book is walking home. An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. Not content with walking the pennine way as a modern day troubadour, an experience recounted in his bestseller and prizewining walking home, the restless poet has followed up that journey with a walk of the same distance but through the very opposite terrain and direction far from home. Halfdead, hit by a car, the whole of its form a jiggle of nerves, like a fish on a lawn. Jun 03, 2016 writer and poet simon armitage introduces his book walking away and reads an extract from the book.
Armitage was elected a fellow of the royal society of literature in 2004 and awarded the cbe in 2010 for services to poetry. All these are present in simon armitages equally entertaining walking home. Now, armitages reputation as one of the nations most original, most respected and most influential poets seems secure. In summer 2010 simon armitage decided to walk the pennine way. Hes also a memoirist, novelist, screen writer, and playwright. Simon armitage was born in west yorkshire, england in 1963. As a postgraduate student at manchester university, his ma thesis concerned the effects of television violence on young offenders. Simon armitage is the recentlyelected oxford professor of poetry with a long list of poetry publications to his name. Simon armitages first recording for the poetry archive was made on 12th july 2005 at the audio workshop, london, while his second was made at the soundhouse, london on 28th july 2016. Walking home describes his extraordinary, yet ordinary, journey of human endeavour, unexpected kindnesses and terrible blisters. Walking home riffs on the ancient correlation between itinerancy and storytelling, with embedded tales of varying tallness coming and going in an almost casual manner.
The companion volume, walking away, is published in june 2015. Walking home by simon armitage an account of walking. Apr 04, 20 walking home by simon armitage walking home the pennine way is not a book of poems from this famous poet but a personal account of simon armitage s experience, walking one of the toughest climbs in britain. Simon armitage, 21 august 1997 ever since the very brutal extraction of all four of my wisdom teeth, ive found myself talking with another mans mouth, so to speak, and my tongue has become a mollusc such as an oyster or clam, broken and entered, licking its wounds in its shell. Little green man by simon armitage and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In 2015, he was elected oxford professor of poetry and in 2017 he was appointed.
All these are present in simon armitage s equally entertaining walking home, an account of the poets attempt on britains most gruelling trail, the 256mile pennine way, as he tramps it the. When it comes to public speaking simon armitage has always been renowned as a writer with a sense of humour. All these are present in simon armitages equally entertaining walking home, an account of the poets attempt on britains most gruelling trail, the 256mile pennine way, as he tramps it the. Simon armitage introduces his book walking away youtube. In walking away simon armitage swaps the moorland uplands. Subsequent poetry books, all published by faber, include kid 1992, book of matches 1993, the dead sea poems 1995, moon country 1996, cloud cuckoo land 1997. Simon armitage was born in 1963 in the village of marsden and lives in west yorkshire. Simon armitage has worked extensively in film, radio and television. Simon armitages walking home is the travelogue of a penniless poet. He studied geography at portsmouth and psychology at manchester university, qualifying as a social worker and working in. Simon armitage s first collection, zoom, appeared in 1989, published by bloodaxe. He worked as a probation officer in oldham until 1994. See all books authored by simon armitage, including homers odyssey, and short and sweet.
A rare chance to see and hear one of the countys foremost writers, simon armitage, reading prose extracts and poems from his bestselling memoirs about trying his luck as a modernday troubadour. The conventional compass bearing for that particular journey is one of south to north. Its a daybyday, blowbyblow, stridebystride account of me walking across the fells and giving poetry readings to unsuspecting little communities in exchange for food and shelter. After buying a signed copy, i began reading walking home by simon.
He undertook this task, a walk that stretched about 256 miles, in. Armitages 2012 non fiction book walking home, an account of his troubadour journey along the pennine way, became a sunday times top ten bestseller for over a month and was shortlisted for the 2012 portico prize. Walking away is part of the telegraph great reads summer 2016. The free tracks you can enjoy in the poetry archive are a. J f kennedy on going to the moon 1962 chief josephs surrender speech 1877 nelson mandela make poverty history 2005 florence nightingale. In 2010 i walked the pennine way, and wrote a book called walking home. Simon armitages new book, the death of king arthur, is published by faber. Oct 14, 2012 the evenings discussion focused mainly on his new novel walking home, a book about his backwards and penniless journey of the pennine way. In one classic walking book, travels in england carl philipp.
Towards the end of the book, this is an extract of his concluding. Simon armitage was born in 1963 in huddersfield, england. Simon armitage, one of britains bestloved poets, appears at a photocall prior to an event at edinburgh international book festival, on august 24, 2014 in edinburgh, scotland. And so in his new book, walking home, simon armitage, best known as a poet, but also a novelist, translator and essayist, heads for the pennine way, a rugged 256mile trail running along the. He works as a freelance writer, broadcaster and playwright, and has written extensively for radio and television. In july 2010, the poet simon armitage, set out to walk the whole of the 256. His allotted time wasnt just about how many funny anecdotes he could tell before the end of the night, however. However, to end this post on a positive note, heres a lovely extract about. Walking home is the chronicle of his threecontinue readingwalking home. He wrote and presented xanadu 1992, a poem film for television, broadcast by bbc television as part of the words on film series, and his film about the american poet weldon kees was broadcast by the bbc in 1993. Walking home blends observations floral, ornithological and geological, with memoir, travel narrative and the words of a few poems armitage composed en route.
Oct 18, 2012 reading from his new book, walking home, armitage recounts his trek along the 256 miles of the pennine way. Ive copied the poem directly from the book, and so i apologise for any typos. The evening began with armitages explanation for walking the arduous 256 miles. This is the opposite way that most guide books to this first of the designated national trails have been written. His talk at the birmingham book festival proved no different. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He is a graduate of portsmouth university, where he studied geography. Little green man by simon armitage and a great selection of related books.
Writer and poet simon armitage introduces his book walking away and reads an extract from the book. After studying geography at portsmouth polytechnic, he worked with young offenders before gaining a postgraduate qualification in social work at manchester university. He worked as a probation officer for six years before focusing on poetry. Oct 12, 2015 simon armitage is the recentlyelected oxford professor of poetry with a long list of poetry publications to his name. Home 2012, 285pp is a first edition, subsequent impression with number line 4 6 8 10 9 7 5. Extracts from american notes by charles dickens 1842 walking home by simon armitage faber and faber 2012 the places in between by rory stewart picador 2004 speeches. A sequel to walking home, in which he walked the pennine way, walking away charts the writers journey along the south west.
In july 2010, the poet simon armitage, set out to walk the whole of the 256 mile way from north to south. Apr 19, 20 and so in his new book, walking home, simon armitage, best known as a poet, but also a novelist, translator and essayist, heads for the pennine way, a rugged 256mile trail running along the. Photo by jeremy suttonhibbertgetty images simon armitage was born in west yorkshire, england in 1963. His selected poems was published in 2001, followed by the universal home doctor 2002 and a new verse adaptation of homers epic, odyssey, in 2006. Simon armitage a portrait of the blogger as a young man. Download and keep this book for free with a 30 day trial. Walking home by simon armitage walking home the pennine way is not a book of poems from this famous poet but a personal account of simon armitage s experience, walking one of the toughest climbs in britain. The crisis manifested itself not in buying a red sports car or taking up with a younger woman, but rather in hiking the pennine way and then writing about it. Another slowlypaced but wonderful travel book is the fabulous account of some of britains best railway trips, on the slow train again by michael williams.
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