An inspiring collection of the greatest British and Irish poetry brought to life in a rich multi-voice production.

In this comprehensive anthology, former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion has gathered together exceptional poems from the 14th century through to the present day, creating an extraordinary poetic journey for the listener. From the love poems of Shelley and Keats to the grim war elegies of Owen and Sassoon, there is a poem here for every sentiment, each with something different to offer.

It is often said that poetry should be read aloud and here the genius of poets including Blake, Brontë and Hardy is given fresh relevance by an exciting multi-voice cast. And in addition to the poems themselves, section introductions from Andrew Motion make the collection accessible and easy to navigate.

Whether you are new to poetry or a devotee returning to old favourites, The Drifted Stream offers a uniquely immersive way to experience some of the most celebrated verse written in English.

‘Everyone Sang’, ‘Counter-Attack’, ‘The General’, ‘They’, ‘Base Details’, ‘Blighters’ and ‘The Death Bed’ by Siegfried Sassoon - copyright to Siegfried Sassoon by permission of the Estate of George Sassoon. 

‘Palm Tree King’ by John Agard - copyright John Agard 1983 reproduced by kind permission of John Agard c/o Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency Ltd

‘Napoleon’, 'Fare Well', 'The Listeners', 'The Song of the Mad Prince' reproduced by kind permission of The Literary Trustees of Walter de la Mare and the Society of Authors as their literary representative, taken from The Complete Poems of Walter de la Mare (Faber, 1975). 

‘Cargoes’ reproduced by kind permission of the Estate of John Masefield and the Society of Author as their literary representative.

‘Picnic’ reproduced by kind permission of the Estate of Rose Macaulay and the Society of Authors as their literary representative.

‘Easter Monday’ by Farjeon Eleanor, ‘Sound Machine’ by Raymond Antrobus, ‘The Veteran’ by Margaret Postgate Cole by permission of David Higham Associates. ‘Lament’ and ‘Mark Anderson’ by Wilfrid Gibson reproduced by kind permission of the Estate of Wilfrid Gibson.