Reading and Discussion: What’s the point of poetry when the world’s collapsing?

We live in times of unprecedented crises, from the pandemic we’ve endured to the ecological devastation around us. What is the point of poetry when the world is collapsing? Can poetry help us to navigate climate doom, and maybe even help us change course? Can poetry help us understand the complexity of the world around us, help us hold nuance, shine a light on inequalities, console our grief and spur us on? Or is at all just a load of words? Poets Don Paterson, Malika Booker and Kate Fox explore the role of poetry in interesting times, looking at the very particular crises through which we’re navigating our boats at present.