In a ceremony to be held Wednesday at Buckingham Palace, Fleur Adcock will be presented with the Queen”s Gold Medal for Poetry. The Queen”s Gold Medal has been presented annually to a poet for a book of verse penned by a poet from the United Kingdom or a Commonwealth realm since 1933. Ms. Adcock is only the seventh woman to have been awarded the prize. Traditionally, the announcement of the award is made on the birthday of William Shakespeare, April 23.

Adcock was born in New Zealand in the second year that the Queen”s Gold Medal was awarded. The New Zealand native spent much of her adult life in Great Britain, though, and she has often been called “The Expatriate Poet”. Her poetry reflects the view of the outsider, she says, observing from a distance. She is known for her “non-romantic” poetry, a fact which apparently sparks some amused chagrin in the poet. In an interview with Richard King of The Australian, Adcock muses, “Of course, I”ve written lots of poems about how awful men are. Not men in general, just some men I happen to have known.”

The interview reveals a wry, lively woman with passionate ideals and a self-deprecating sense of humor, a personality that emerges in Adcock”s poetry as well. In speaking of the upcoming award ceremony, the poet says, “One is not allowed to lead the conversation. I”d be happy to talk about my grandchildren in New Zealand. As it is, the Queen has to talk about poetry. It must be awful for her.”

But not for us. For a taste of this year”s Queen”s Gold Medal winner, you can visit:
two poems by Fleur Adcock
Fleur Adcock reading her own poetry