Britain | Getting verse

Britain has seen an alarming rise in poetry sales

Instagram poets are / behind a rise in revenue / and platitudes

Donna Ashworth with her book Wild Hope.
Photograph: donnaashworthwords/instagram

Donna Ashworth, a British poet, loves words. You can tell because on her website she calls herself “Donna Ashworth—Author and lover of words”, doubtless to distinguish herself from all those other authors who don’t like words. But Ms Ashworth loves so much more than words, for, as she says, “what are we here to do, if not love?” So she also loves our “magical” planet, and being kind, and wrinkles, and the child within us all and putting meaningful things in italics.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Britain gets verse”

From the January 20th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Britain

Crew members during the commissioning of HMS Prince of Wales

Has the Royal Navy become too timid?

A new paper examines how its culture has changed

A pedestrian walks across the town square in Stevenage

A plan to reorganise local government in England runs into opposition

Turkeys vote against Christmas


David Lammy, Britain’s foreign secretary

David Lammy’s plan to shake up Britain’s Foreign Office

Diplomats will be tasked with growing the economy and cutting migration


Britain’s government has spooked markets and riled businesses

Tax rises were inevitable. Such a shaky start was not

Labour’s credibility trap

Who can believe Rachel Reeves?