London EC4M 8AD
UK
A mystery can imply something that needs to be solved – a murder mystery, a secret to be uncovered. But the things that affect us most are often mysterious – falling in love, believing in God, the beauty and the suffering of the world. And poetry is what many of us turn to in times both of celebration and mourning: poets find the words when we don’t know what to say.
In this event, two very different contemporary poets will reflect personally on poetry and mystery, and share some of the poems which have helped them, and might help us, to explore the great themes of love, faith, suffering and joy – the things at the heart of our lives.
Wendy Cope is the author of bestselling collections of poetry for adults and children, including Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis and Two Cures for Love, and anthologies including Heaven on Earth: 101 Happy Poems.
Rowan Williams is a poet, translator and theologian who was until 2012 the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Collected Poems of Rowan Williams was published this year.
The event will be chaired by Mark Oakley, Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and author of The Collage of God and The Splash of Words: Believing in Poetry.