Hello Gentle Reader
The Oxford Poetry Professorship is a unique academic appointed position. The elected incumbent will hold the part-time professorship for one term consisting of five years. The chair itself was created in 1708 and since its inception has held forty-five appointee’s to its chair: including: W.H. Auden, Robert Graves, and Seamus Heany. However as of late, the position has been embroiled in electoral scandals. The first scandal was in two-thousand and nine with Derek Walcott and Ruth Padel. During the electoral process photocopied pages from a university publication by the name of “The Lecherous Professor,” had been given to some Oxford academics; the photocopied pages included articles on sexual harassment in American Universities, and two cases that were laid against one of the runners for the chair: Nobel Laureate and esteemed poet Derek Walcott. However Walcott’s nomination for the position was controversial from the start; with consideration to his university teaching years. Ruth Padel was immediately put under fire and scrutiny in regards to the letter campaign and that had smeared Derek Walcott forcing him to bow out of the elections. Padel states innocence to the letter campaign, but e-mails the poetess sent to a journalist, later fell into the grasp of the wider media, and soon a bitter divide erupted over Padel’s eventual electoral win, which ended in her resignation, nine days after holding the position. Padel remains the only woman (however brief) in the positions three-hundred and seven years to have held the position. A new election was held and Geoffrey Hill was named the new incoming incumbent for the chair.
On June 19th, Simon Armitage had been announced as the winner of this year’s electoral campaign. However the election itself had, its own moments of fiery criticism; which centered around another Nobel Laureate nominated for the position: Wole Soyinka. First came speculation that Soyinka himself was this time more concerning his age; from his previous supporter Melvyn Bragg who worried that Soyinka would not “bother to come to Oxford,” if he were appointed and continued: “Soyinka is a grand man … I also query his age.” And sparks flew. Soyinka later rebuttal with: “How curious that anyone would even speculate that I would allow busy and committed people - friends, colleagues and total strangers - to waste their time nominating and campaigning on my behalf for such a prestigious position if I were not serious about contesting.” Soon divides were drawn, and Soyinka’s supporters coming to the authors defense, over such queries. However the election was finished and Simon Armitage was the elected incumbent over Wole Soyinka. Even now though there is still an aftershock setting in, and many have already blamed the British Press and its (alleged) sabotage of Soyinka, for his failure to receive the chair position. Many have lamented that without Soyinka on the position it is a great loss, to the chair and to the University. Wole Soyinka however has accepted defeat graciously, thanking his many supporters who campaigned on his behalf, and Lucy Newlyn who was his most adamant supporter.
However congratulations to Simon Armitage. Here’s hoping the future elections will not be so lost in squabbles over who deserves it or not. It appears that many thought Armitage would be a great appointee to the chair, and hopefully his five year term is graced with less smaller issues, and the main focus attributed towards poetry and its loosening grip on the contemporary world in the twenty-first century, as well as its slow slip into oblivion.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
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M. Mary
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