Gillian Clarke talks to Alex Clark

Delve into the world of silence as poet Gillian Clarke discusses her poems themed around the voices that are heard when we’re quiet. The Silence, Clarke’s latest collection, began during lockdown, and her poems cover topics including her mother and childhood, the Great War and its aftermaths, and the rituals which make that world come into focus.

Clarke was National Poet of Wales from 2008 until 2016, awarded the Queen’s Gold medal for Poetry in 2010 and the Wilfred Owen Award in 2012. Her work has been on the GCSE and A Level exam syllabus for over 30 years, and she performs her poetry regularly for student audiences at Poetry Live.