Simon Armitage: 'Exciting' to be given City of London freedom - despite being a northerner

The Poet Laureate, who was brought up in Marsden, West Yorkshire, attended the ceremony on Wednesday at the Barbican Centre’s Conservatory, the first time it was held there.

The Freedom ceremony is mostly held in the Chamberlain’s Court at Guildhall or The Mansion House.

Armitage’s recognition was for “his outstanding achievements in the written word and his enthusiastic promotion of poetry, in particular, to the younger generation”.

He said: “This is a wonderful and exciting honour. I’m a northerner and have lived in West Yorkshire all my life, but through poetry and all its different manifestations, London has become a home from home, the place I know best outside my own postcode.

“The city itself has always been something of a mystery to me until recent years when I’ve started exploring it more for work and pleasure.

“The freedom feels like an invitation to spend even more time in a place that feels truly historic yet determinedly futuristic, a sort of visa in my poetic passport. Thank you – expect me any moment.”

Following the ceremony, the poet gave a reading of his works, and in addition two people from the Barbican’s artist development programme recited an original poem inspired by his writing.

Armitage was appointed as Poet Laureate in May 2019, succeeding Scottish poet Dame Carol Ann Duffy.

He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds, and has written around 30 collections of poetry – starting with Zoom! in 1989.

The former probation officer’s work is studied by children as part of the national curriculum, and he most recently released Magnetic Field: The Marsden Poems in 2020 and Blossomise in 2024, a limited-edition collaboration with artist Angela Harding.

Armitage, nominated for the Freedom by the recorder of London, his honour Mark Lucraft KC, and honorary secondary of London, Fiona Adler, from the Old Bailey, follows in the footsteps of comedian Sir Lenny Henry and British actor, musician and filmmaker Giles Terera.

Mr Lucraft said: “As prolific and versatile as he is popular and accessible, Simon Armitage is one of our finest poets – now, almost six years into the historic position of Poet Laureate – and also a talented musician, playwright, and novelist.

“It has given my colleague, Fiona Adler, and I tremendous pleasure to support his admission into the Freedom, which is richly deserved, and we hope that he will have fond memories of his ceremony for many years to come.”

Armitage has translated major classic texts, including the Odyssey and medieval romances Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written non-fiction work Walking Home: Travels With A Troubadour On The Pennine Way and is the frontman of the ambient post-rock band LYR.

For the Platinum Jubilee, Armitage wrote a poem, Queenhood, to mark the late Queen’s 70 years of service, and when she died he put out Floral Tribute in remembrance of her reign.

The tradition of the freedom of the city is believed to date back to 1237.