Morpurgo and Theroux sign up for poetry anthologies

Michael Morpurgo and Paul Theroux are among the writers and public figures introducing a new series of themed poetry anthologies from the Macmillan Collector's Library. 

Accalimed children's writer Morpurgo will introduce Poems of Childhood, a collection featuring ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat’, ‘Jabberwocky’ (first published by Macmillan in 1871) and ‘The Tyger’ while novelist and prize-winning travel writer Theroux will introduce Poems for Travellers. He said the collection "succeeds in what poetry does best – inspires and consoles, reminds us of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we might want to go next".

The series will be part of the Macmillan Collector's Library, a collection of clothbound, pocket-sized books. Each collection has been compiled by bestselling anthologist Gaby Morgan, Macmillan Children’s Books editorial director. Publication date for each collection of poetry, priced at £9.99, will be on National Poetry Day on 3rd October.

Poems for Happiness will be introduced by The Reverend Richard Coles, the musician, writer, Church of England priest and co-presenter of Saturday Live on BBC Radio 4. This collection features ‘How Do I Love Thee?’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling (first published by Macmillan in 1910), and ‘My Heart Leaps Up’ by William Wordsworth.

Writer, poet, illustrator, naturalist and author Helen Macdonald will introduce Poems on Nature and Poems for Christmas will be introduced by author Judith Flanders. This anthology will include poems by William Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, John Donne and Christina Rossetti as well as many much-loved Christmas songs and carols.

Harriet Sanders, publisher at Macmillan Collector’s Library, said: "Creating this series together with Gaby Morgan has been a joy from start to finish. Poetry is more popular than ever and these collections are full to the brim with some of the most beautiful, inspiring and resonant verses and rhymes ever written.  A big thank you to the introducers too, for their brilliant introductions."