‘Clarke has a direct line to the natural world. She paints the Welsh landscape without idealising or romanticising, and in the process shows that nature doesn’t need to be elevated to inspire a quiet awe.’ – Financial Times

Join us for the annual Rylands Poetry Reading, this year delivered by the former National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke. Gillian’s sublime new collection The Silence was started during the coronavirus lockdowns and explores a deep connection with nature as well as personal reflections of her mother, childhood, and the duplicity of war. Gillian has published nine previous collections with Carcanet including Zoology and Roots Home: Essays and a Journal. She has won the Wilfred Owen Association Poetry Award and is a recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. Presented in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.