Carol Anne Duffy: First female poet laureate

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/may/01/carol-ann-duffy-poet-laureate

Carol Anne Duffy ended the four hundred years domination of male poets in the poetry world. She became the first female English poet laureate today. She said she thought long and hard before she accepted the post. She did it mainly because there was no woman poet laureate (yet) and as a sort of recognition to all the great women poets. She told that her public life would be separated from her private life. Having in mind that "it was better to give it [the money] back to poetry", her yearly stipend of 5,750 pounds will go to the Poetry Society. The news of Duffy's nomination leaked a week earlier before the formal occasion. From a shortlist of ten candidates, Duffy ended up number one with the Queen's approval. PM Gordon congratulated Duffy and called her a "truly brilliant poet". She will occupy the laureate post for ten years, replacing Andrew Motion, who wrote poems for the Queen and a rap for Prince William. She was supposed to take the post in 1999 after Ted Hughes death but reluctant because of her lesbian relationship then. Duffy is one of the best selling authors in the UK, with a long list of prestigious awards such as the TS Eliot prize, the Dylan Thomas award, the Whitbread poetry prize, the Somerset Maugham award and the Forward prize. She started to get involved with poetry in the 1970 and earned the title,"poetess". In an interview with Jeannette Winterson, she stressed that she was not a lesbian poet but instead defined herself as a poet and a mother. Aside from her seven adult novels know for its "accessibility, lightness of touch and emotional depth", she also writes poems and picture books for children, plays and edits anthologies. Before Duffy, the first woman to be considered for the post was Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1850 but Tennyson was chosen instead of her. Her predecessor, Motion, gave her two important pointers. Firstly, preserve her private life. Secondly, the laureateship can bring havoc to her writing. Carol Anne Duffy lives in Manchester and creative director of Manchester Metropolitan University's writing school.

Reaction
It is a great achievement for the women - in the literary world and in general - to be recognized in this field. Particularly, in a field mainly dominated by men for hundred of years. I have not read any of her books or poems yet. But I will surely do after reading this news. Being a poet laureate is definitely one big of a task. Especially under the scrutinizing eyes of literary critics, there must be pressures. Her courage and reasons in accepting the post is admirable. She made her mark in the history of literature by being the first Scot, first bisexual and first woman poet laureate of the 21st Century. Indeed, an amazing woman and an inspiration to aspiring poets and writers. Kudos to Carol Ann Duffy.