I can't hear the Archive's recordings. What should I do?
To hear the recordings in the Archive, you need software called Real Player. If you can't hear our recordings, you probably don't have it installed in your machine. You can get Real Player free of charge here. While we currently only support Real Player, we hope to add support for other players as the Archive expands. Back to top How can I get the best sound quality without having to wait too long for it?
The Archive's website will recognise what kind of browser you have and how fast your connection is and will deliver the best sound quality as quickly as possible. Please bear in mind, of course, that some of our historic recordings were made a long time ago and that their sound quality cannot match today's recordings. Back to top On my screen, the site doesn't seem to look the way it's intended to. What can I do about that?
The site has been built to cater for the most popular combinations of browsers and operating systems. To keep costs down, it has been not possible to cater for all combinations. At present, the following browsers are guaranteed to support the site:

PC: Windows 2000 and later
Internet Explorer 5.5 and above
Firefox 1.0

MAC OSX
Safari 1.2 and above

If you have problems viewing the site using one of these combinations of browsers and operating systems, please contact us describing the problem, and tell us which browser and operating-system versions you are using. Back to top

Can I adjust the size of the text?
When viewing the site with most popular browsers, the size of the text can be adjusted. In Internet Explorer and Mozilla, text size is altered by choosing 'Text Size' under the "View" menu. Back to top

How do you choose the poets who are included in the Archive?
Poets are chosen by a Selection Panel, chaired by Andrew Motion. All published poets who write in English are eligible to be invited to make a recording for the Archive. If you would like to suggest a poet to be added to the Archive, please use our Missing Voices pages. All enquires are read but we cannot promise to send individual replies. Back to top

How much does each poet record for the Archive and who chooses the poems each poet records?
Poets themselves choose the work they record for the Archive. Each poet is invited to record a reading lasting about an hour. Between seven and ten minutes of each recording can be heard here, free of charge. You can buy each poet's full-length recording in the Poetry Bookshop Online. Back to top

Will you add more recordings to the Archive?
Yes, there are many more poets we want to record and the Poetry Archive will continue to grow in the future. Also, every few years we plan to go back to the poets we have already recorded and invite them to record their recent work for the Archive. Back to top

Can I suggest poets I'd like the Archive to record?
We are keen to hear your suggestions about who else we might record. Please go to Missing voices to find out how you can help us ensure the Archive is as comprehensive as possible. Back to top

Can I send my poetry to the Archive?
Unfortunately, we cannot offer an advisory service for your poetry. However, there are other places where you can get advice - for more information, see our Links. Back to top

Who runs the Poetry Archive?
The Archive's two Directors are the U.K. Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, and the recording producer, Richard Carrington. To read more about the project see About Us. Back to top

How is The Poetry Archive funded?
The Poetry Archive is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. We rely on the support and generosity of public bodies, charitable trusts and private individuals. Please visit our Benefactors page to see who our supporters are and the Support the Poetry Archive page if you would like to help the Archive continue its work. The Archive is partly funded by CD sales, so every purchase of a recording helps us afford to make more recordings. Back to top

Can I make my own copies of recordings and texts of poems from the Archive?
The Poetry Archive operates under a strict copyright agreement, which does not allow any reproduction of the audio or text featured on the site. For a comprehensive guide to this issue, please see our Terms and Conditions. Back to top

I'm looking for a poem to mark a special occasion. Can you help me?
Many people turn to poetry at important moments in their lives. A poem can be a solace in times of grief and can help you celebrate happy events. See the themes page to search for poems by theme, such as birth, love, marriage and death. Back to top

I'm trying to find a poem I heard years ago, but I can't remember the title or the poet's name. Can you help?
We can't guarantee that the poem you're looking for is in the Archive but it might be - so try our themed search. Go to the themes page and look for a theme that fits the poem you're trying to remember. Back to top

We'd like to invite a poet into our school. How should we go about it?
Many of the poets in the Archive make visits to schools to work with pupils and teachers. For more information, read our Invite a Poet page. Back to top

I can hear the poems and see the films but the quality isn't very good. Is there anything I can do?
If you can hear the recordings, you must already have Real Player installed on your computer. However, if the audio and video quality isn't very good, that may mean that you have an old version of the player. You can get the latest version, free of charge, at www.real.com. Back to top