Listen to the world’s best poetry read out loud.
About us
What is the Poetry Archive?
We believe poetry is for everyone.
The Poetry Archive is the only charity wholly dedicated to the production, acquisition and preservation of recordings of significant poets reading their work aloud.
We care for and preserve these uniquely valuable voices, which might otherwise be lost, so that future generations can continue to enjoy them. We make our own recordings of poets who write in the English language, and poets also donate copies of their own archives to us so we can look after them in the long term.
Why are we needed?
When a poet dies without making a recording, a precious resource is lost for ever and as time goes by that loss is felt more and more keenly. By recording poets reading their own work, The Poetry Archive preserves for future generations uniquely valuable voices which might otherwise be lost. The Poetry Archive's collections bring poetry into homes and classrooms and offers a valuable educational resource as well as protecting and preserving an important part of our social and cultural history.
BRINGING POETRY TO LIFE FOR EVERYONE
Hearing how a poet speaks their own poems brings us a deeper level of insight and enjoyment of the work and provides a rich resource for poetry lovers, explorers, teachers and students of all ages.
Accessible and available to all
We believe poetry is for everyone. Poetry read in the unique voice of the author is unlike anything else. The Poetry Archive is the only charity and free online resource wholly dedicated to sharing the voice of these poets free of charge through our websites. Our collections reflect the quality and diversity of contemporary poets of our age as well as those who went before them.
Supporting poets
Writers should be fairly compensated for their work. We pay each poet to record for us so that we can promote their full recordings through our membership scheme. Poets are remunerated when our members select a poem, with two thirds of this cost going directly back to the poet.
A little about us
10551
total poems currently in the Archive
2001
the Poetry Archive was launched
5million
visits to the Poetry Archive every year
The Children's Poetry Archive
We also have a Children's Poetry Archive showcasing the best of children's poetry. Here they can explore poetry in their own time and at their own pace, engendering a love for poetry which will last them a lifetime. We are grateful to the TS Eliot Foundation for their support in creating this website.