TfL launches a celebration of poetry to mark 40 years of ‘Poems on the Underground’

Transport for London (TfL) has today (Tuesday 6 January) announced a series of special events and publications to celebrate the 40th anniversary of 'Poems on the Underground', which has brought world-class poetry to millions of London Underground customers since 1986, transforming daily journeys into moments of reflection and connection for four decades.

TfL will host a special commemorative event on Friday 30 January at Bank Tube station to officially mark the milestone. London poets whose work has featured in the scheme over the years will be invited to attend the event, alongside poetry readings from staff poets and other poetry lovers.

A special revised edition of '100 Poems on the Underground' is now also available for purchase at several retailers, including the London Transport Museum shop and online. The new edition adds poems by Sappho and Jean Binta Breeze to the poems displayed during the first five years of Poems on the Underground.

A new set of winter ‘Poems on the Underground’ will launch on 9 February, including poems by contemporary British poets – “Syzygy” by Rachel Boast, “A Short Piece of Choral Music” by Jonathan Davidson, and “Narcissus” by Blake Morrison. It also features a haiku by Kobayahsi Issa with original calligraphy by Yukki Yaura, and verses by the Romanian poet Mircea Dinescu and the American Jane Hirshfield.

In addition to the new collection, TfL will be featuring some of the first 100 poems at five selected stations, continuing the expansion of the project beyond train carriages. Poems will be featured at Aldgate East, Heathrow, Seven Sisters, St. John’s Wood, and Westminster.

Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “For the past 40 years, ‘Poems on the Underground’ have given us moments of reflection, joy, solace and so much more as we make our way through the hustle and bustle of the Tube. Much loved by Londoners as part of the familiar furniture of our city, they are incredibly popular with visitors too. Art and culture are for everyone and ‘Poems on the Underground’ bring creative inspiration to millions every day, helping us build a better London for everyone.”

Mark Evers, Chief Customer Officer at TfL, said: "For four decades, 'Poems on the Underground' has been a vital part of London's cultural fabric, turning millions of minutes spent travelling into moments of reflection and joy. As we celebrate this 40th anniversary, we honour the poetry that connects us, and we look forward to sharing more fantastic poems for many years to come."

Judith Chernaik, Founder, Poems on the Underground, said: "We start the new year - our 40th - with poems of widely different times and places, all offering hope for better times as Winter gives way to Spring.”

Later this year, TfL will publish a leaflet with 40 poems to have taken part in the scheme available at London Underground stations, ensuring that the best-loved selections reach a new generation of readers, in line with the summer edition of ‘Poems of the Underground.’

All poems displayed on the Tube network since ‘Poems on the Underground’ was founded in 1986 can be found in their original poster form on the ‘Poems on the Underground’ website https://poemsontheunderground.org/