David Harsent

Recent work

Updates

Latest collection:

David Harsent has published eleven collections of poetry. The most recent, Salt, came from Faber & Faber in October 2017. He is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Roehampton and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

His work in music theatre has involved collaborations with a number of composers, but most often with Harrison Birtwistle, and has been performed at the Royal Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the Proms and on Channel 4 TV.

Read longer biography (pdf)

Awards

  • 2014 T.S. Eliot Prize (Best Poetry Collection) — Fire Songs
  • 2012 Griffin International Poetry Prize — Night
  • 2008 Cholmondeley Award
  • 2008 Griffin International Poetry Prize (shortlist) — Selected Poems 1969-2005
  • 2007 Forward Poetry Prize (Best Single Poem) (shortlist) — The Hut in Question
  • 2007 Griffin Intertational Poetry Prize (shortlist) — Selected Poems
  • 2005 Whitbread Poetry Award (shortlist) — Legion
  • 2005 T.S. Eliot Prize (shortlist) — Legion
  • 2005 Forward Poetry Prize (Best Poetry Collection of the Year) — Legion
  • 2002 T.S. Eliot Prize (shortlist) — Marriage
  • 2002 Forward Poetry Prize (Best Poetry Collection of the Year — shortlist) — Marriage
  • 1998 T.S. Eliot Prize (shortlist) — A Bird’s Idea of Flight
  • 1998 Forward Poetry Prize (Best Poetry Collection of the Year — shortlist) — A Bird’s Idea of Flight
  • 1988 Society of Authors Travel Award
  • 1978 Arts Council Writers’ Award
  • 1977 Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize — Dreams of the Dead
  • 1970 Arts Council Writers’ Award
  • 1967 Eric Gregory Award