Rising stars in contemporary poetry

More and more collections of poetry are being published in pamphlets, books and online. Some win prizes and each year four or five poets win the prestigious Eric Gregory Awards for poets under 30. With so much being published, how can we decide what is good poetry? Does winning prizes or awards mean the poems are good or just that they appealed to the judges more than the others submitted or that they’re fashionable?What do we mean by ‘good poetry’ anyway? It’s often said good poems are ones we return to again and again, but what makes us return to them? Is it expression of feelings we share in language that’s fresh – “what oft was thought but ne’er so well expressed” – or something else?BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS:Laurie Smith has taught poetry writing and literature courses at The City Lit for some years, focussing on modernism and writers’ radicalism. He researches and lectures at King’s College London, helped to found Magma poetry magazine which he sometimes edits and has recently been a Trustee of the Poetry Society.