Internationally acclaimed poet, writer and broadcaster, Simon Armitage is back in the spotlight once more. Huddersfield born and bred Simon has a new play "Jerusalem" getting it's world premiere over at the prestigious West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds from November 12th until December 3rd.

"It's an idea that's been brewing for about 12 or 13 years. I originally wrote it as a small, set piece, a kind of play to be put on in the village hall. Then I wrote it up as a short story for "All Points North". Then it was commissioned by the BBC for Radio 4 but it was frustrating as it's a visual thing about a man who'd been in his attic for 30 years. So, it's up and running where it always should have been, at West Yorkshire Playhouse. They commissioned it when Jude Kelly was Artistic Director."

I notice that the play's directorr John Tiffany [currently Associate Director of New Work at the National theatre of Scotland] is from Marsden too

"Yes, we knew each other when we were growing up. Our dads knew each other . It was great, a nice coming together, a nice coincidence. We met somewhere and I was telling him about it, sent him a copy, he liked it and we said to the Playhouse that we'd like to work on it together."

Speaking of Marsden, I used to live there and I went back for the first time in years recently and I was really struck by how much it had changed. Do you think it's following Hebden Bridge and being absorbed into Manchester's commuter belt?

"It's possible. I probably need to say to you that "Jerusalem" is not about Marsden. It's one of those Pennine border towns, down in a dip that you could peer into from the top of the hill. They've tried to gentrify Marsden on a number of occasions and it's never really worked but there's a shop called "Cobwebs" and a wine bar too."

A wine bar?

"Yes, it opened about 3 weeks ago."

That is definitely not the Marsden I remember

"Did they use to kick your head in on a Friday night?"

Oh no, but I remember being a bit nervous the first few times I got the last bus home from Huddersfield.

"When I used to get the last bus home from town, it used to be followed by a police car or even a van sometimes."

Wow, it was never quite like that when I was catching it. A very loud bunch but once you got to know them, you realised they were all alright.

"They were only kidding when they stabbed you!"

Oh yes! Now, I hear you have a TV programme coming up called "Songbirds". What stage is that at?

"It's finished. It's a documentary set in Downview women's prison in Surrey. It's a follow up to another film we made called "Feltham Sings". I've written songs lyrics for the women and Simon Boswell does the music. They gave interviews about their circumstances and I break them down into song lyrics. Simon puts the music to them. I think it'll be on sometime at Christmas"

Where are you at now with the film version of your first novel "Little Green Men"?

"I've been writing the screenplay for about 3 years. I don't know what's happening at the moment, so I'm not going to say!"

When the role of Poet Laureate came up a few years ago, you were one of the popular suggestions for the job. Would you have taken the job?

"In all honesty, I don't know what that job is. I think there is definitely a role for public poetry in this country. Poetry is something that people don't just look to, but participate in at a time in their life when they feel passionate about something. There's a role for someone commentating on things."

Does the notion though of having an official government commission have a stifling effect on creativity?

"All the commissions that I've had have been an element of twist with them. When someone wants to commission a poem from you, it involves you using your imagination."

I've had trouble connecting your poetry with those who have gone before you, it seems really unique to me. Which poets do you see yourself as having come from?

"I've come out of Phillip Larkin, Ted Hughes, Thom Gunn, James Tate."

With Yorkshire suddenly in the spotlight, it feels like towns like Huddersfield are changing a lot at the moment.

"I guess all towns are always changing. You grow up with a view of a town and think that's how it's always been but it's just part way through a change. It's this perpetual process of growth. There is this area of town, I was talking about Venn Street, and I thought where is Venn Street, is there a Venn Street anymore? It's where the new Kingsgate Centre is. All my geography was spun round. There's a L-shaped street in town now that's all bars and I was walking through it on my way to see the Fall at the University and I suddenly thought "Where am I? Cincinnati"

Interview by Ned Netherwood
Thanks to Rachel Coles