Stencilled lettering for volume 13

Poetry and Audience

Exploring the evolving design of the pioneering Poetry and Audience magazine. An online exhibition from Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

Poetry and Audience 6th November, 1953. Editor: Ralph Maud. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

Hubert Dalwood's logo

Poetry and Audience 11th October 1957. Editor: James Simmons. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

The circle cover design

Poetry and Audience 6th October, 1961. Editor: Ben Sherriff. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

An experimental pamphlet cover

Poetry and Audience Pamphlets Number 2: Poems by John Quail. 1965/66/69. Editor: Roderick Wilson.. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

The design continues to evolve

Poetry and Audience 29th November, 1963 Editor: Jeffrey Wainwright. 1965/66/69. Editor: Roderick Wilson.. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

Stencilled lettering for volume 13

Poetry and Audience 15th October, 1965. Editor: Brian Oxley. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

Precision line work and impressionistic styles clash in volume 20

Poetry and Audience Volume 20 Issue 2. Editor: Brian Oxley. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

Mary Outram's illustration in volume 23

Poetry and Audience Volume 23 Issue 1. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

Andy Arnold’s satirical cover design for volume 26

Poetry and Audience Volume 26 Issue 1. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

The Grass’s Time by John Glover, Northern House

Northern House Pamphlet Poets: The Grass's Time

Poetry and Audience The Grass’s Time. One of a selection of cover pages from the magazine Poetry and Audience, part of the archives held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

This cover from 15th October 1965, showcases another hand drawn design which featured stencilled letters along the top and the iconic P&A logo coloured in at the bottom right.

Under the editorship of Brian Oxley, the magazine was demonstrably becoming an integrated part of university life, with adverts for poetry readings of the English Society and accounts of theatre visits being prominent in the magazine.

The editor also pays a homage to previous editor Jeffrey Wainwright. In his opening editorial, Oxley affirms the magazine's desire to 'publish writing that has not yet been absorbed into the static scholastic categories; writing which is 'becoming', which is exciting, fluid, unpredictable.'

CLASSMARK: University of Leeds, A-0.01 POE

Brian Oxley