Faber New Poets, an exciting initiative funded by Arts Council England through Grants for the arts, is a major new venture to support and promote new poets.

The Faber New Poets programme aims to create a culture of support for pre-first collection writers. By offering a package of financial assistance, mentorship and pamphlet publication by Faber, the scheme intends to provide care and direction for eight new poets to develop their work, with four in 2009 and four in 2010.

Drawing upon the advice of 10 scouts appointed by Arts Council England nationwide, nominations for the scheme were received in October 2008, and were read by a panel of experienced poets and prominent practitioners from the poetry world, who met in December to adjudicate the awards.

Four poets were given awards for 2009, with their pamphlets to be published for National Poetry Day in October 2009. The second set of four poets will receive awards in 2010 and publish their pamphlets later that year.

In 2009, the awarded poets are Fiona Benson, Heather Phillipson Toby Martinez de las Rivas and Jack Underwood.

Through financial support, skilled mentorship, pamphlet publication, and through promotion and publicity that will include events taking place in Faber’s 80th anniversary year, this project promises to aid the short and longer term development of our newest talents. By doing so, the project aims to enrich the broader culture of British poetry along the way.

Antonia Byatt, Director, Literature Strategy at Arts Council England said:

‘Arts Council England is delighted to work with Faber and Faber on their New Poets scheme. This partnership was established so that new poets can benefit from the expertise at Faber to refine and develop their work at a critical stage in their careers as writers: between the publication of individual poems and the writing of their first full collection. In the year of Faber's 80th birthday we celebrate their continuing commitment to identifying and promoting new poets.’

Stephen Page, CEO and Publisher at Faber said:

‘We are delighted that with the support of Arts Council England we can launch this exciting initiative to support new poets at a crucial stage of their development. The search for new writers is at the heart of what we do, and remains as important to us in our eightieth year as ever.’

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/pressnews/news_detail.php?browse=recent&id=1171