Wendy Cope

Wendy Cope (1945- ) a contemporary English poet, was raised in Kent, England, where her parents often recited poetry to her. She was a teacher in primary schools in London for 15 years. Her first book of poems; Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis was a resounding success. She wrote numerous books of poetry for adults and children. The British Library purchased Cope's archive including manuscripts, school reports and 40,000 emails, the largest email archive they have bought to date. The papers also includes 67 poetry notebooks and unpublished poems. Wendy said, "I wanted to find a good home for my archive. The timing was dictated because we had to move home, so we needed some money to buy a house, and the space.”

New Season

No coats today. Buds bulge on chestnut trees,

and on the doorstep of a big, old house

a young man stands and plays his flute.

I watch the silver notes fly up

and circle in blue sky above the traffic,

travelling where they will.

And suddenly this paving stone

midway between my front door and the bus stop

is a starting point.

From here I can go anywhere I choose. 

— Wendy Cope