Greek Poems on the Underground

During the current Greek presidency of the EU, Poems on the Underground is celebrating the enduring influence of Greek culture with its latest selection of poems.

Passengers using the Tube will be able to see the poems on London Underground trains until June. 

There are six poems by Greek, British and Irish poets covering a range of themes, from love and the natural world to myth and history.

The poets featured include the ancient Greek poets Sappho and Anyte, the great 20th-century Greek poets C.P. Cavafy and Nikos Gatsos, the Romantic Philhellene poets Byron and Keats, and the Irish poet and translator Theo Dorgan.

Judith Chernaik, writer and editor and founder of Poems on the Underground, said:  `I hope the bilingual texts will appeal to the large Greek community in London, and might tempt other Tube travellers to try a course in ancient or modern Greek.'

Victoria Solomonidis, Cultural Counsellor, Embassy of Greece, said: `Over the next five months Greek poets and poets who love Greece will be offering the millions of London Underground passengers a notional trip to our country. We are delighted to be associated with TfL and Poems on the Underground in this remarkable initiative.'

Poems on the Underground, founded in 1986, aims to bring poetry to a wider audience.

It helps to make journeys more interesting by showcasing a diverse range of poetry, including classical, contemporary, international and work by new poets in Tube train carriages across London