About

The Northern Poetry Map is a brand new project run by Durham University’s Centre for Poetry and Poetics and Department of English Studies. As we develop this project, we’d love to hear from you and to shape this resource together.

The Northern Poetry Map aims to highlight the North’s rich poetic heritage, where words and landscape are intimately bound together. In particular it will show how poetry can be used by local businesses, communities, tourist attractions, and more to raise their profile and that of our region as a whole.

There are two related themes to the project:

1. The Northern Poetry map, to create the first comprehensive map of poems related to particular places in the North, with an initial focus on County Durham. We will be working with schools, community groups, writers and the public to build the map together. In the process we’ll be thinking about whether our definitions of a ‘poem’ need to be expanded. Should we, for example, be populating the map with some of the North East’s wonderful tradition of folk songs and ballads?
2. Poetry and Promotion, which will see academics, businesses and other organisations collaborating to explore the ‘value’ of poetry in many senses. Can poems be used as a resource for businesses to draw on when creating a regional brand? Can poetry be used as a magnet to attract more visitors and customers? How might the language of poetry help businesses to write more effective advertising copy or promotional messages?

Ultimately, by working together to collect and put the North’s rich poetic heritage on the map, we may be able better to use it as a resource for all, whether simply reading for pleasure or for other purposes.