Cara Thompson Announced As Nottingham's First Nature Poet Laureate

This month, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature have announced their new Nature Poet Laureate: Cara Thompson.

During the next 18 months Cara will create five new poetic works, in service of a role devised to inspire new connections with nature in the face of the climate crisis, and to dovetail with the City Council’s commitment to becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2030.

Born and bred in Notts, and in her own words a ‘proud descendant of Jamaican migrants’, Cara Thompson is a rising star in the world of verse; her poetry having been featured and commissioned by Penguin Random House, Huffpost, Simon and Schuster and many more. Her poem ‘Island Screams (Where Are You From)’ recently won the UNESCO Cities of Literature’s international slam poetry competition.

Cara emerged from a competitive process in which the applicants had been whittled down to a Magnificent Seven of formidable Nottingham poets: Jay Sandhu, Bridie Squires, Jaden Morton, Kate MacAlister, Bep Summerscales, Joshua Judson and Cara herself.

LeftLion had a chance to speak with our new Laureate before she began her 18 month stint as a champion of the natural world. She told us:

‘Having known and worked closely with many of the amazing poets on the shortlist over the years, I knew how high the calibre was going into the process - and still feel so honoured that the Nature Poet Laureate judging panel and Nottingham City of Literature team have trusted me with such a unique opportunity.

'I was actually home alone when I first received the news - and I think I spent a solid hour just racing around the house in disbelief!’

The aspect that excited Cara the most, she told us, was ‘the real potential this laureateship has to connect and empower people across Nottingham through nature and poetry…’

‘A key element to my work will be delivering the Creative Community Programme ‘Growing Words’, delivering poetry workshops and events in collaboration with young people, local community groups and green spaces, as well as producing anthologies to capture the works we create together.’

‘With the busy and increasingly remote lifestyles many of us have, I think there are a lot of people who feel increasingly estranged from or even underrepresented in natural and creative spaces.’

‘I hope this laureateship can encourage and empower people in Nottingham (including myself) to explore our relationship with nature more deeply - and find a sense of inspiration, connection and belonging as we do.’

Indeed, these are sobering times for those of us who have great regard for the places beyond the concrete. But as the poet John Clare once said, nature has the habit of returning ‘in blooms revivified’. 

Let’s give a toast to Cara Thompson and the City of Lit team, as they set out, in turbulent times, to usher in a new season.