One of Britain’s most distinguished contemporary writers, Simon Armitage, will deliver The Professor Glyn Turton Lecture at the University of Chester next month.

English poet, playwright and novelist, Professor Armitage was also elected Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford in June 2015.

He will deliver the ninth talk (entitled Putting poetry in its place) in this series of high profile lectures, hosted by the University’s Department of English.

They honour Professor Glyn Turton, the respected scholar, former Head of English, Dean of Arts and Humanities, and Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor at the university. The lecture takes place on Wednesday, May 25, at the university’s Parkgate Road Campus.

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A previous guest speaker for the Cheshire Prize for Literature at the University, Armitage is author of more than 20 poetry collections, including: Zoom! (1989), Kid (1992), Book of Matches (1993), The Dead Sea Poems (1995), CloudCuckooLand (1997), Killing Time (1999), Travelling Songs (2002), The Universal Home Doctor (2002), Tyrannosaurus Rex versus The Corduroy Kid (2006), Seeing Stars (2010), and Paper Aeroplanes (2014).

His other writing includes autobiographies, travelogues, plays, scripts, and translations of Homer’s Odyssey (2006), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (2007), The Death of King Arthur (2011), and Pearl (2016).

In 2004, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and in 2010, for services to poetry, was appointed CBE. He is a Vice-President of the Poetry Society.

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He has received numerous awards for his poetry, including the Sunday Times Young Author of the Year, one of the first Forward Prizes, a Lannan Award, and the Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize. In 2012, at the 25th Hay Festival, he was presented with the Hay Medal for Poetry.

Dr Ashley Chantler, senior lecturer in English at the University of Chester, and organiser of the Professor Glyn Turton lecture series, said: “It is an absolute coup to welcome Simon Armitage back to the University of Chester and we are thrilled that he will be delivering this public lecture for us. This is a free event and I would encourage members of the public, staff, academics and students to make the most of this wonderful opportunity and book a place.”

Putting Poetry in its place takes place on Wednesday, May 25 between 6pm and 7pm, in Lecture Theatre 011, Binks Building, Parkgate Road Campus, University of Chester.

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From 5.30pm there will be a stall selling a range of Simon’s books. After the lecture, Simon will be happy to sign copies of his work.

Entry is free, but booking is essential. More information and a link to the booking page can be found at: http://www.chester.ac.uk/departments/english/prof-glyn-turton-lecture or call 01244 513152.