‘Perhaps [song lyrics] have something that the poems don’t. Or perhaps they don’t have something that the poems do’. Where do song lyrics and poetry converge? Poet Laureate Simon Armitage has always been inspired as much by music as he is the written or spoken word. His latest book Never Good With Horses collects Simon’s musical outpourings, from the lyrics written for his ambient post-rock band Land Yacht Regatta, to the DIY indie band The Scaremongers to those written for film and theatre productions, including the BAFTA-winning Feltham Sings, for which Simon won an Ivor Novello Award. Join us to hear Simon read some of his favourites and discuss his love of language, his creativity and compositions, his collaborations with musicians, and some of the songwriters and lyricists he admires.

Simon is the author of numerous poetry collections including The Unaccompanied, Seeing Stars and his acclaimed translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. He has won numerous awards including the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. Presented in partnership with Manchester Poetry Library and supported by Sofas & Stuff.