The first woman Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Carol Ann Duffy is a much-admired, award-winning female poet. Many of her poems are part of the British school and university curriculum and she has established herself as one of the most significant literary figures in the genre of contemporary British poetry. She has been conferred with several prestigious awards and honorary doctorates for her contribution to the world of literature. Let’s explore more about her through this article.
What is Carol Ann Duffy famous for?
- A British poet and playwright.
- The first woman, the first Scottish-born poet, and the first LGBT poet to hold the position.
When was Carol Ann Duffy born?
Recalling her early life, Duffy was born in Gorbals, poverty struck and underprivileged part of Glasgow, the United Kingdom to Frank Duffy, an electrical fitter and Mary Black.
At the age of six, her family relocated to Stafford, England, where she attended Austin’s RC Primary School from 1962 to 1967 and later she was enrolled at St. Joseph’s Convent School and Stafford Girls’ High School.
She was a voracious reader from her school days and by the age of eleven, she authored many poems. At the age of fifteen, her poems were published by Outposts, a pamphlet publishing house. In 1974, she enrolled at the University of Liverpool, where she studied philosophy. While at the university, she wrote for a pamphlet titled Fifth Last Song.
When did Carol Ann Duffy begin her career?
- Moving towards her career, Duffy began to work for The Guardian as a poetry critic. She also worked as an editor for Ambit, a poetry magazine.
- In 1985, she published Standing Female Nude, a collection of poems. The title poem of the book is written from a nude female model.
- In 1987, she published one of her highly acclaimed works of poetry, Selling Manhattan. The book was very well-received and is regarded as one of her best works.
- In 1990, she came out with The Other Country, a collection of poems that was well appreciated and positively reviewed by literary critics. The book takes readers on a fascinating journey into a fantastical world.
- In 1993, she published her award-winning poetry collection, Mean Time, a compilation of verses inspired from childhood, adolescence and adulthood incidents.
- In 1999, she published Meeting Midnight which was a collection of poems for young readers. That year, she also came out with The World’s Wife, a selection of verses on sexism, equality, bereavement, and birth.
- Published in 2000, her children’s poetry collection, The Oldest Girl in the World, was illustrated by Marketa Prachaticka. It is a complete work of fantasy that captures the imagination of its readers.
- In 2002, she came out with the illustrated children’s book titled, Queen Munch and Queen Nibble, which was Illustrated by Lydia Monks.
- In 2005, she came out with her award-winning collection of love poems titled Rapture. This widely appreciated publication made her one of the most significant contemporary poets.
- In 2007, she published the children’s book titled, The Tear Thief. The plot of the book revolved around the imaginary character, Tear Thief, who stole the tears of every child who cried.
- Published in 2009, her children’s book The Princess’s Blankets, was a fictional tale of a young princess who could never feel warm with anything, until the day her heart is filled with the warmth of love.
- Her poem titled, ‘he Twelve Days of Christmas 2009, highlighted the issues of climate change, species extinction, banking crisis and the war in Afghanistan.
- In 2011, she came out with the illustrated book, The Christmas Truce, which is a moving tale of World War I troops, both German and British who put down their guns to play a game of football on Christmas day.
- In 2011, she dedicated a 46 line poem titled Rings’ to the wedding event of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. The poem, however, did not specifically mention the names of the couple.
- In 2012, she published the illustrated Christmas poem titled Wenceslas: A Christmas Poem, which was a re-told account of the carol of King Wenceslas.
- She also participated in the Bush Theatre’s 2011 project Sixty Six Books, for which she wrote a piece based upon a book of the King James Bible.
- A modernized adaptation of Everyman by Carol Ann Duffy, with Chiwetel Ejiofor in the title role, was performed at the National Theatre from April to July 2015.
Is Carol Ann Duffy married or not?
Reflecting on his personal life, Duffy is openly bi-sexual. Always a rebel with an unconventionally independent streak, she was only 16 when she first met the poet, musician and artist Adrian Henri who was 39 at that time. Their huge age gap did not deter the teenager from developing a romantic liaison with the much older man, a relationship that lasted for 12 years.
Later, she entered into a relationship with the Scottish poet and novelist Jackie Kay who is lesbian. The two women were together for 15 years before breaking up. Also, She is the mother of one daughter, Ella, born in 1995. Ella’s father is Peter Benson.
How much is Carol Ann Duffy’s net worth?
Being a poet/ author, Duffy earns a decent amount of money and fame through her profession in the field of the entertainment industry. Based on some online sites, her estimated net worth is said to be $1 million at present. However, his salary and asset details are yet to be disclosed.
How tall is Carol Ann Duffy?
Observing her body physics, Duffy stands a decent height and weight with brown eyes and hair color is dark brown. His other body information is yet to be disclosed. In the case of disclosed, we will let you know.
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