- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: LONDON ZOO HAS A RESIDENT POET
- Date: 4th November 1998
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (RECENT) (RTV ACCESS ALL) 1. TOBIAS HILL READING HIS POETRY AT LONDON ZOO 2. VARIOUS SHOTS OF ANIMALS 3. ANIMAL PLACARD 4. TOBIAS HILL POET SAYING: "IT'S ANOTHER WINDOW ON THE ANIMALS HERE FOR THE PUBLIC. IT'S ANOTHER WAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO LOOK AT THE ANIMALS AND WHAT POETRY'S GOOD AS IT GIVES PEOPLE A SENSUAL EXPERIENCE. SO THEY CAN SEE THE ANIMALS, THEY CAN SMELL THE ANIMALS ON A GOOD POEM, THEY CAN FEEL THEM. THAT'S WHAT POETRY DOES VERY WELL. HOPEFULLY IT'S GIVING PEOPLE A NEW APPROACH TO THE ANIMALS HERE." (ENGLISH) 5. VARIOUS ANIMALS 6. CLAIRE ROBINSON, EDUCATION OFFICER OF THE ZOO, SAYING: "THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THE POETRY IS THAT IT INCREASES OBSERVATION ABOUT THE ACTUAL ANIMAL ITSELF. SO IT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THE MOVEMENT AND THE SOUNDS AND THE SMELLS AND YOU CAN HEAR THE GIBBON CHIRUPPING IN THE BACKGROUND RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK POETRY AND ANIMALS GO SO WELL TOGETHER IT'S THIS MOVEMENT AND SOUND ON THE WORDS. THEY ARE LIVING BOTH OF THEM." (ENGLISH) 7. VARIOUS ANIMALS 8. TOBIAS HILL SAYING: "APART FROM MY OWN WRITING, WE'RE DOING FOUR PROJECTS. WE'RE DOING READINGS. WE HAD ONE IN THE AQUARIUM, WHICH WAS BRILLIANT. WE'RE DOING WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS. WE'RE DOING POETRY COMPETITIONS FOR CHILDREN AT SCHOOLS KEYED INTO ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE ZOO AND WE'RE DOING THE POETRY SAFARI, MOSTLY FOR CHILDREN, BUT ALSO FOR LARGE CHILDREN TO FIND POEMS THAT ARE PLACED BY THE APPROPRIATE ANIMAL IN THE ZOO, SO SNAKES BY SNAKES." (ENGLISH) 9. ELEPHANT AND HIS KEEPER 10. CHILDREN TAKING PART ON THE POETRY TRAIL 11. TED HUGHES'S POEM, HAWK ROOSTING, PART OF THE POETRY SAFARI 12. TOBIAS HILL SAYING: "TED HUGHES USED TO WASH UP DISHES IN THE RESTAURANT HERE, MANY YEARS AGO AND HAS QUITE FOND MEMORIES OF THE ZOO AND HE THINKS OF IT AS A RATHER LARGE EXOTIC FARM. HE WAS QUITE EAGER TO HAVE HIS POEMS USED IN THE POETRY SAFARI. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF HIS POEMS IN, MAINLY FOR ADULTS. HE IS ONE OF THE BEST MODERN BRITISH POETS IN GENERAL AND CERTAINLY POETS WRITING ABOUT ANIMALS." (ENGLISH) 13. VARIOUS ANIMALS 14. FAMILY AT TICKET BOOTH 15. VARIOUS ANIMALS 16. TOBIAS HILL SAYING: "THEY LIKE IT THEY ALWAYS WANT TO COME IN AND SEE THE MIR CATS AND THE GIRAFFES. SO I TAKE THEM IN. IT'S A GIFT." (ENGLISH) 17. GORILLA 18. SCARED CHILD LOOKING AT GORILLA Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 19th November 1998 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVAAVM4H5LNW0Y9R21E0L8QWB9AU
- Story Text: Most zoos have elephants, tigers and chimpanzees.But
the newest addition to the London Zoo is a rare speciman
indeed -- a resident poet.
London zoo does its bit to protect threatened species
-- and that now extends to poets.There have been artists in
residence at universities throughout the United Kingdom for
quite some time.London Zoo took the idea a step further...and procured its own poet.
The scheme highlights the plight of endangered
animals...and poets.
Tobius Hill joined the menagerie in May for a nine month
stay to interest young people in poetry and give himself some
animal inspiration.
But Hill isn't the first poet to be captivated by animal
magic.Ted Hughes, Britain's official poet, who died in
October, also worked at the zoo.
Rhymes for rhinos, sonnets for snakes and couplets for
chimpanzees.
And for the human visitors: running tours, workshops and
competitions to verse people in the ways of the wild.
Hill's family couldn't be happier with the posting....they
get free visitation rights.
It's poetry for all creatures great and small at the
London zoo.
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