The London Poetry Challenge
The Poetry Challenge is an annual charity fundraising event held in London. Recite a poem at the Poe
All you who sleep tonight
Far from the ones you love,
No hands to left or right,
And emptiness above –
Know that you aren’t alone.
The whole world shares your tears,
Some for two nights or one,
And some for all their years.
© 1992, Vikram Seth
Alone
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
by Maya Angelou
Analysis (ai): This poem explores the universal human need for connection and the futility of trying to navigate life's challenges alone. It echoes themes of isolation, poverty, and societal suffering found in other works by the author, who often addressed racial and social injustices. The poem's simple and repetitive structure emphasizes its central message, while the use of contrasting imagery (e.g., "water is not thirst" vs. "bread loaf is not stone") reinforces the idea that true fulfillment can only be found in human connection.
06/06/2024
A London Poetry Challenge 2024 will be held in East London! Check out the website and book via Eventbrite
THE POETRY CHALLENGE 2024 Taking National Poetry Day into the weekend, come and recite, support and celebrate all things poetry - and do it for charity if you can!
What was most significant about the lunar voyage was not that men set foot on the moon but that they set eye on the earth. Norman Cousins
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I love his work and what his work is about.
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A great number of poets suffered childhood bereavement. Songs written about love and loss. Hear this inspiring discussion if you know a child or children who's parent has died.
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(Pinterest)
05/01/2022
Celebrating Bob Dylan with music and poetry!
https://youtu.be/5HCOF0Uoay0
28/10/2021
Claudia Boulton, compere at the annual London Poetry Challenge, actor, playwright and MC, died suddenly on Tuesday 26 October. She was a wildly creative spirit, generous, remarkable, kind and full of infectious fun and mischief. and a caring friend.
Claudia was the compere of the Poertry Challenge from the beginning, in the 1990's with Nicholas Albery, the founder of the Poetry Challenge. We held our last Poetry Challenge on Zoom with the poet Liz Uter on 3 October. Claudia had just finished writing her latest play and was busy making costumes for it, when she go ill and died a few days later in hospital. It is a real shock and great sadness. Still feels unreal. She was so full of spirit. It is a great loss.
12/10/2021
Poetry is not a luxury
19/07/2021
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-london-poetry-challenge-2021-tickets-122191743795
The London Poetry Challenge 2021 Perform a poem you have learnt by heart and raise money for a charity. Musicians and singers are welcome!
19/07/2021
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/11/michael-horovitz-obituary
Michael Horovitz obituary Iconoclastic poet, editor and leading light of British counterculture during the 1950s and 60s
03/06/2021
For Nicholas Albery 28.7,48 - 3.6.2001
GEORGE HARRISON - GOVINDA CANCION GOVINDA DE GEORGE HARRISON TOMADO DEL DISCOChant And Be Happy George Harrison & London Radha-Krishna Temple 1969 ------------------------------------...
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The mystery of Britain's most famous funeral poet - Prospect Magazine Mary Elizabeth Frye wasn't much of a poet—but she put to paper one of the most famous verses on grief still celebrated today. Or did she?
21/01/2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whZqA0z61jY
Amanda Gorman recites stunning poem at Biden inauguration Amanda Gorman, the United States' first-ever youth poet laureate, recited a powerful poem at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamal...
A poem from Lynn Ungar
Pandemic
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love–
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.
–Lynn Ungar 3/11/20
01/11/2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luMEjKFt5Qk
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKoVNqjNqtY&feature=youtu.be
The Power of Poetry, with Helena Bonham Carter and Jason Isaacs Want to join the debate? Check out the Intelligence Squared website to hear about future live events and podcasts: http://www.intelligencesquared.com _______...
28/09/2020
'Frozen Music' to mark the exact burial place of the poet and visionary William Blake on the occasion of his 250th birthday. Bunhill Fields London EC1. - Martin Sexton
24/09/2020
The Fire of Joy by Clive James review — a treasure trove of poetic pleasure At his school in the Sydney suburbs in the 1950s, no pupil was allowed to go home before he had stood by his desk and recited a poem. “It was a fantastic combination,” writes Clive James in his
Sadly, The London Poetry Challenge 2020 has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
We look forward to The London Poetry Challenge 2021 and hope you will be able to join us then!
With apologies from host Josefine Speyer, compere Claudia Boulton & poet Elizabeth Uter
24/08/2020
The London Poetry Challenge 2020 will be held online via Zoom!
On Sunday 4 October 2020, 3.30pm - 5.30pm.
Musicians and singers are welcome!
We will shortly update our website and set up an Eventbright page for bookings. We will announce it here!
24/08/2020
Nicholas Albery published Poem for the Day in 1994. He knew the power of learning a poem by heart and reciting it. He set up the Poetry Challenge to launch the book in October 1994 to raise money for our charity The Natural Death Centre (1991).
Here is an article by Joanna Moorhead, the Guardian journalist who wrote a huge article about the Natural Death Centre in April 1991 which launched us and brought us daily media attention and the attention of the public and with that a flood of letters every day, providing us with stories, providing us with information as well as asking us for it. We were in the public eye, and Nicholas knew how to use this for our advantage. The Natural Death Handbook (first edition 1993) included many of the letters we had been sent. The public had wanted to take death into their own hand for a long time and here was their moment. We were someone who was willing to listen and learn. And the lesson was We want to organise a funeral with or without funeral director, but not Victorian style, We want to do as much as possible ourselves and we want it to be environmentally friendly. So this is the route the NDC took.
Cutting a long story short: Nicholas used his love of poetry and learning a poem a day by heart to raise money for charity, ie the Natural Death Centre.
And here is someone who agrees with him that a poem a day keeps the doctor away (keeps you sane).
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/30/how-poetry-can-light-up-our-darker-moments-mental-illness
How poetry can light up our darker moments In this fast-moving technological world, lines of poetry can help people with mental illness
17/08/2020
HOME BIG LIT postponement due to Covid-19It is with great regret that Bakehouse Community arts is postponing BIG LIT until the end of August. Given we are now in the midst of a Covid 19 pandemic and the modelling of the virus’s trajectory for the next eight weeks puts the height of infection bang in t...
26/06/2020
Absolute delight!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b06gthsz
Desert Island Discs - Lemn Sissay - BBC Sounds Kirsty Young talks to writer, poet and playwright Lemn Sissay.
The Poetry Challenge 2020 on Sunday 4 October may need to be held online. We let you know nearer the time.
Whichever way, it will definitely happen!
12/05/2020
The history of the Poetry Challenge
The Poetry Challenge was set up by Nicholas Albery in 1995 as an annual fund raising event, held on the first Sunday in October.
Nicholas was a social inventor, an activist, author and private poet, a founder of charities and editor over 50 books, including the best selling Poem for the Day Book. He learnt a poem every day. He was also an inspirer and mentor to children and adults, friends, family and fleeting acquaintances. He loved poetry and encouraged learning it by heart.
The Poetry Challenge was the means by which he was able to raise funds for his charities and helping other people to do the same. The royalties of the Poem for the Day book support the Natural Death Centre, a charity he founded with his wife Josefine Speyer. Nicholas died in a car accident in 2001.
Since his death the Poetry Challenge continued to be held by the Nicholas Albery Foundation and the Natural Death Centre for some time. In recent years Josefine, now a patron of the Natural Death Centre, teamed up with Cornelia Broesskamp and Claudia Bolton to support their prospective charities and to continue the tradition.