Greenlaw appointed poetry editor at Faber

Lavinia Greenlaw has been appointed poetry editor at Faber.

She takes up the role on 22nd January 2024, succeeding Matthew Hollis, who announced earlier in the year he was stepping back from the role.

Greenlaw studied 17th-century art at the Courtauld Institute and was the first artist in residence at the Science Museum. Her awards include a NESTA fellowship, the Ted Hughes Award for her immersive soundwork, Audio Obscura, and a Wellcome Engagement Fellowship.

She has published six collections of poetry with Faber, including Minsk in 2003, which was shortlisted for the T S Eliot, Forward and Whitbread Poetry prizes. Her collection A Double Sorrow: Troilus and Criseyde, published in 2014, was shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award. She is also the author of fiction and non-fiction books, including the novel In the City of Love’s Sleep (Faber) and her non-fiction title The Importance of Music to Girls (Faber). Her book The Vast Extent: On Seeing and Not Seeing Further, will be published by Faber in 2024, as will her Selected Poems.

Greenlaw, who currently holds the chair in Creative Writing for Poetry at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: "I am delighted to have been given this role, especially at a time when poetry is vigorous, inventive and responsive. Across the generations, we are seeing the confidence and artistry with which poetic conventions, values and tropes are being recast.

"The past, present and future of poetry are in intense conversation, and the Faber poetry list has a proven commitment to all three. It is a profound honour and responsibility to be the person carrying that commitment forwards."

Alex Bowler, publisher at Faber, said: "Lavinia joins us in a period when the currents of poetry are especially active, and when the Faber list, after a decade-plus of Matthew’s re-energising and generous stewardship, is abundant with so many lasting voices of the past and present. Lavinia’s exceptional poetic pedigree, her deep experience as a creative collaborator, an editor and leader, combined with the sheer ambition she has for our poets and their work, means we have an exceptional next chapter ahead under her leadership."