Poet Biographies
This website includes biographies of some major war poets, written by experts for publication here. 'Mouse over' the images above to read the names of individual poets or click on an image to read a biography. Go to the foot of this page and click on a 'Conflict' to see links to biographies of poets associated with that war or conflict.
Read our new biographies of Siegfried Sassoon by Dr Jean Moorcroft-Wilson; T.E. Hulme by David Worthington; Edmund Blunden by Margi Blunden; Michael Longley by Dr Fran Brearton; and Leslie Coulson and **NEW!** Richard Aldington by Vivien Whelpton.
From the WPA Blogsite:
Fall In, Ghosts Battlefields Tour 22nd - 25th October 2011: Feedback and Discussion.
New! (15.1.12): Feedback from participants, summarised by Andy Thompson (view or download PDF here).
View this summary and comments on the blog and add your own contribution.
War Poetry Review
The 2010 issue of the WPA's Journal: War Poetry Review is now available in electronic format. It was published in December 2011 and sent to all members. Click on the link to view the Table of Contents here. If you are a subscribing annual member and would like access to the electronic edition now, please e-mail journal@warpoets.org. Passwords are being sent to all honorary and life members.
War Poetry Review 2010 is a lively and substantial issue. In addition to the articles there is a review by Tim Kendall of Elizabeth Vandiver's book on classical influences in First World War poetry, which she also spoke about at the Robert Graves Conference in Mallorca in July. This is an expanded version of an article that first appeared on Professor Kendall's War Poetry Blog. The issue also has a Second World War poem by one of France's most eminent poets, Claude Vigle, especially translated by the translator and publisher Anthony Rudolf (who, incidentally, chaired a recent Rosenberg conference at Toynbee Hall in London).
Isaac Rosenberg's letter to Paul Nash illustrates Jean Liddiard's article, and there are six illustrations in the article about the First World War Poetry Digital Archive: Rosenberg and Graves manuscripts, a letter by Gurney, and a photo of Sassoon, Blunden and Dennis Silk together At Heytesbury.
Welcome
The War Poets Association aims to promote interest in the work, life and historical context of poets whose subject is the experience of war. It is interested in war poets of all periods and nationalities, with the primary focus on conflicts since 1914 - mainly the First World War, The Spanish Civil War, the Second World War and Ireland.
There are several societies dedicated to individual war poets; the WPA aims to work with these to promote their activities and to provide an opportunity for them to join in events of general interest.
This website aims to be one of the primary resources on the Internet for research into and discussion of Twentieth Century international war poetry, and to provide a selection of useful links. If you would like to recommend links or help build the resource, please contact the editor at editor@warpoets.org.
Membership
Membership of the War Poets Association costs ?15 p.a. or ?150 for life, with reductions to ?10 p.a. or ?100 respectively for concessions, including Over 60s, students and the disabled. Subscriptions can be paid in GB Pounds, Euros or US Dollars. You may pay online via PayPal or join here, or download and print out a membership form in PDF format and post the completed form, with your cheque, to the WPA Treasurer, to whom any enquiries should also be sent. If you have any feedback on this website, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail to editor@warpoets.org or via our postal address to let us know how we might improve.
Conflicts
Click on one of the box titles below to read an introduction to the war poetry of that conflict or subject or find biographies of war poets by conflict group.
