MATTHEW HOLLIS was born in Norwich in 1971. Ground Water (Bloodaxe 2004), his first full-length collection, was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize for Poetry, the Guardian First Book Award and the Forward Prize for Best First Collection. He published a pamphlet, The Boy on the Edge of Happiness, with Smith/Doorstop in 1996 and won an Eric Gregory Award in 1999. He is co-editor of 101 Poems Against War (Faber, 2003) and Strong Words: Modern Poets on Modern Poetry (Bloodaxe, 2000), and works as an editor at Faber and Faber. In 2005–06 he was Poet-in-Residence at the Wordsworth Trust.
Forthcoming Events + News
Faber New Poets Tour 2009
In October, Matthew will be introducing the Faber New Poets on tour, joining them as a reader at certain venues. Funded by Arts Council England, Faber New Poets aims to identify and support emerging talents at an early stage in their careers. Through a programme of mentorship, bursary and pamphlet publication, the scheme offers four poets a year the time, guidance and encouragement they require to help in the development of their work in the longer term. Details of the tour appear here and below.
Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction
Matthew's forthcoming biography of Edward Thomas (Faber & Faber, 2011) has been recognised with a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction. For further details, click here.
The Poetry Archive
Matthew's recording of Ground Water for The Poetry Archive is now available on CD and online. To visit the Archive click here, or to purchase the CD click here.
12–19 October 2009
FABER NEW POETS TOUR
Norwich, Cambridge, Oxford, Hull, Durham, Ilkley, Manchester
with Fiona Benson, Toby Martinez de las Rivas, Heather Phillipson and Jack Underwood
and special guests Emma Jones, Bernard O'Donoghue and George Szirtes
Details: Becky Fincham, tel 020 7927 3887
Becky.Fincham@faber.co.uk
http://www.faber.co.uk
10–15 August 2009
LUMB BANK, Heptonstall, West Yorkshire
Arvon Foundation
Towards a First Collection with Clare Pollard
Details: Lumb Bank, tel 01422 843714
l-bank@arvonfoundation.org
http://www.arvonfoundation.org
Tues 4 August 2009, 7pm
HOLT, Gresham's School, Norfolk
Holt Summer Festival
with Kevin Crossley-Holland and Esther Morgan
Details: box office, tel 01263 712635
boxoffice@holtfestival.org
http://www.holtfestival.org
Mon 20 April 2009, 2.30pm
LONDON, London Book Fair, Nehru Centre
Writers' Chain in association with British Council, London Book Fair and Nehru Centre
Found in Translation
with Francesca Rhydderch, Mererid Hopwood, Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and Udaya Narayana Singh
Details: Francesca Rhydderch, tel 01970 612160
francesca@walesliterature.org
http://www.britishcouncil.org/India
http://www.walesliterature.org
Tue 31 March 2009, 4pm
OXFORD, Christ Church College, Festival Room 1
Oxford Literary Festival
Box office: 0870 343 1001
Details: Alex Simmons, tel 01865 276152
info@sundaytimes-oxfordliteraryfestival.co.uk
http://www.sundaytimes-oxfordliteraryfestival.co.uk
Thu 26 March 2009, 6pm
LONDON, St Helen's School, Northwood
13–25 January 2009
JAIPOR, India
Jaipur Literary Festival
with Meg Bateman, Sampurna Chattarji, Mererid Hopwood, Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, Gearóid Mac Lochlainn, Sivasankari and Udaya Narayana Singh
Details: Francesca Rhydderch, tel 01970 612160
francesca@walesliterature.org
http://www.britishcouncil.org/India
http://www.lit-across-frontiers.org
http://www.walesliterature.org
Thurs 27 November, 2008, 8.30pm
OXFORD, St Edmund Hall
Oxford University Poetry Society
Details: Lavinia Singer
lavinia.singer@lmh.ox.ac.uk
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5347993997
Tues 18 November, 2008, 5pm
BRIGHTON, University of Sussex
Details: Professor Peter Abbs, tel 01273 872597
P.F.Abbs@sussex.ac.uk
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/profile1.html
Thur 30 October 2008, 7pm
BELFAST, Queen's University
Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry
with Christopher Reid
Details: tel 028 9097 1070
shc@qub.ac.uk
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SeamusHeaneyCentreforPoetry
Weds 8 October 2008
LUMB BANK, Heptonstall, West Yorkshire
Arvon Foundation
Details: Steve & Caron May, tel 01422 843714
l-bank@arvonfoundation.org
http://www.arvonfoundation.org
Sat 6 September 2008, 6.15pm
NORWICH, University of East Anglia, Elizabeth Fry Building
Poetry After Sebald
with Lavinia Greenlaw and George Szirtes
Details: Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge, tel 01603 456161
l.stonebridge@uea.ac.uk
http://www.uea.ac.uk/LyndseyStonebridge
Trees in the City
In 2007, Lloyd's of London and Poet in the City commissioned Patience Agbabi, John Burnside and Matthew Hollis to write a suite about climate change. Click here to read or listen to the poems.
The poems have been incorporated into a seating area, made from untreated 'windblown' Welsh oak, in Fenchurch Place, adjacent to the station. Click here for a map.