Agenda is one of the best known and most highly respected poetry journals in the world, having been founded in 1959 by Ezra Pound and William Cookson.

It is edited by Patricia McCarthy, who co-edited the magazine with William Cookson for four years until his death in January 2003. She is continuing, as Seamus Heaney says, ‘to uphold the lofty standards of Agenda’.

"Agenda is one of the two literary periodicals in Britain. I admire it for its attentiveness to all kinds of contemporary poetry… and its consistent stress on the importance of poetry in translation from other languages." Thom Gunn

"Agenda, as the title insists, does several things that need to be done if literary culture is to stay in good shape. First of all, it stimulates and sponsors new poetry by poets whose writings and espousals have given the magazine its personality from the beginning. Agenda has a second important function which it discharges by doing work of critical advocacy for poets of marked or under-rated achievement, living and dead." Seamus Heaney

Timeless Quotes by William Cookson >

Agenda News

                                    Poetry in the House
                                 (See more details by clicking above)
                                              9 Feb 2012
                                     Time: 8-10pm
                                       Tickets £5
                                    (£3 concessions)
                                 At Lauderdale House
                                       Highgate Hill,
                                      Waterlow Park,
                                      London N6 5HG
                                   Tel 020 8348 8716
                                      Thursday 9 Feb
            Agenda Poets: Timothy Adès, Clare Best, Gill McEvoy,
        Christine McNeill, Andrew McNeillie,Sue Roe, James Simpson

                                        November 15, 2011

                                 World Poetry Portfolio

    Patricia McCarthy, editor of Agenda, is featured (with twelve poems) in the online

    World Poetry Portfolio No 50, edited by Sudeep Sen

          http://www.molossus.co/poetry/world-poetry-portfolio-50-patricia-mccarthy/

       October 5th 2011

       John Burnside wins Forward Prize: an honour for a poetry that is a vital

       life force, such as that promoted by Agenda.

                  Dwelling Places, An Appreciation of John Burnside

                                     Vol 45 No4/Vol 46 No1

                                     published May 20, 2011

               Contents include a searching interview by Patricia McCarthy with

               John Burnside, original essays on John Burnside, along with poems

               to and for him.

                   To obtain your copy of this issue of Agenda, email:

                                editor@agendapoetry.co.uk 

     Latest issue of Agenda, the 'Keenings' issue, woven around elegies.

     Contents include: a revealing interview by Patricia McCarthy with

     Peter Dale; poems by known and new voices, essays and up-to-date

     reviews. Also the poems of the winners of Agenda's first poetry competition

     (listed below).

                                              Keenings

                              Vol 46 No.2 Published 29th Sept 2011

        Agenda Poetry Competition Results

        First Prize: Kim Lasky, 'The Bed that is a Tree'

        Second Prize: Sharon Black, 'Palomas'

        Third Prize: Claudia Jessop, 'Marionette Dream'

        Runners-up:

        Abegail Morley, 'Wasps'

        Judith Taylor, 'Afterlife'

        Will Johnson, 'a devotion'

        Anna Wigley, 'Dear John'

        Jane Lovell, 'The Prayer of St. Simon'

  A big thank you to all entrants. The winning poems will be

  published in the forthcoming issue of Agenda, along with

  runners-up. There will also be a feature about the competition.

       Published July 2011: Spanish poems translated by Arthur Terry who, just

       before he died, sent a hand-written letter to William Cookson, expressing

       a strong wish for Agenda Editions to bring this collection out. This has at

       last been made possible by a generous grant from the estate of the late

       Elizabeth Robertson, a lover of poetry.

       Arthur Terry was part of the Belfast Writing Group which included such

       well-known poets as Seamus Heaney, Philip Hobsbaum, Michael Longley,

       James Simmons and Derek Mahon.

       Price: £9 (plus P&P)

       Order from: editor@agendapoetry.co.uk