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Nine leading poets call for ACE rethink on PBS cut
01.04.11 | Charlotte Williams
Nine of the UK's leading poets, including laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Blake Morrison and Don Paterson, have called for Arts Council England (ACE) to "urgently reconsider their decision" to withdraw funding from the Poetry Book Society (PBS). The ACE has scheduled a meeting with PBS board members for Monday [4th April].
In a letter published in today's Times, the poets said they were "shocked that the Arts Council has decided to withdraw all funding from the Poetry Book Society, a widely respected and unique organisation that selects outstanding poetry collections for readers and libraries".
The Society will lose its regular funding from ACE from April 2012, as part of the implementation of its new portfolio funding for the arts which followed the Government's cuts in its spending review of October 2010. It is receiving £111,299 from the Arts Council in its final year of funding for the 2011/12 financial year.
The PBS also administers the T S Eliot Prize, an award for new collections of poetry in English, and has supported works in translation. It was established by Sir Stephen Spender, with T S Eliot and Philip Larkin among previous board members.
In the letter, the poets, which also included Simon Armitage, Wendy Cope, David Harsent, Jo Shapcott, Christopher Reid and George Szirtes, added: "We ask the Arts Council to urgently reconsider their decision which will have a devastating impact on poets, publishers and, especially, on readers of contemporary poetry."
Vice-chair of the PBS board, Desmond Clarke, said ACE has now contacted the PBS and arranged a meeting for Monday [4th April]. He said: "Clearly the PBS and the T S Eliot Prize are the most high-profile casualty of the Arts Council cuts. This letter is very powerful and it's great that nine of our country's leading poets have come out in support. To lose the T S Eliot Prize, the highest profile prize in the English language, would be very very sad."
Of the Monday meeting, he said: "There's a hint that having slammed the door perhaps the door is being reopened."
The PBS has set up a petition at www.petitiononline.co.uk/petition/save-the-poetry-book-society/2631, calling on the public to "send a clear message to the Arts Council that the PBS and its members are absolutely vital if there is to be an audience for poetry in
the future". It is also asking people to contact ACE directly, by emailing its chair, Dame Liz Forgan [chiefexecutive@artscouncil.org.uk] and to support the society by buying a membership or a book.
PBS director Chris Holifield added: "We are stunned to have lost our funding after ACE's support over many years, which threatens our continued existence as an organisation".
Clarke has written a blog for The Bookseller on the cuts.
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Whilst the total cut in funding for the Poetry Book Society is draconian, and several other poetry publishers have also lost funding in the same way, the claim that the Poetry Book Society publishes a range of poetry that represents the best is inaccurate. Any renewed funding should ensure that the Poetry Book Society recognises the much wider range of excellent poets and poetry that is present in our modern poetry culture.
The poets who have written to The Times are all involved with the publishers whose work is most frequently recognised by the Poetry Book Society. The letter does not mention that Faber, whose Editor, T S Eliot, founded the Society in collaboration with fellow publisher on 3rd Decmber 1953, are also beneficiaries of £40,000 per year from 2012.
The PBS does not publish poetry but sends its poetry bulletin detailing new poetry publications to members. For many poetry readers, this is their primarily source for buying new poetry as book shops have all but given up stocking new poetry publications. Moreover, members get a discount. The PBS can only select books it details from information sent to them by publishers and not all publishers participate. However, if a PBS member wants a book, the PBS will endeavour to source it for them. It does represent one of the few ways poets can get their books out to readers: hence its importance.
Withdrawing funding is not only killing this vital service but jeopardises the T S Eliot Prizes (not the prize fund) as the PBS administers the prizes and organises readings by the shorlisted poets. ACE have admitted (via The Guardian) that they don't know what's going to happen to the T S Eliot Prizes. Bad decision.
The future of the TS Eliot prize is directly linked to the Poetry Book Society. The Selections made by the PBS are included in the shortlist for the prize.
The PBS has an enviable reputation for selecting and recommending outstanding poetry published both in English and in translation to the benefit of so many people. 2,000 people came to the readings by the TSE shortlisted poets in January at the Royal Festival Hall. Millions of people heard the readings on the BBC Radio Today programme.
I am sure that Eliot and Spender as well as the nine distinguished poets who signed the letter, would have been horrified at the Arts Council's decision.
Poetry needs to be supported
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