Description

This collection was commissioned as part of the York800 celebrations of 2012 to commemorate the 800 years since King John granted the City its charter, an act cynically suggested by some as a means of securing his supply of fine wine and filling his coffers at the same time.

The poems here reflect York’s 2000 years of history: Roman, Saxon, Viking, Norman, all in their own way very British and yet so obstinately northern. We celebrate Saxon kings, and modern York; life persevering during the Blitz; Roman ghosts and medieval cemeteries; the annual floods, the almost-800-year-old Minster, the famous shops and cafes; even the days the Olympic Torch passed through in June 2012.

Residents will enjoy seeing their City reflected in poetry, commissioned artwork, and historic photographs; visitors can carry away mementos of their stay.