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In the latest in our series of Poetry Book Clubs, Wendy Cope looks back on her 1986 collection ‘Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis’ (Faber).ÌýWendy’s first collection,Ìýthe bookÌýwas critically acclaimed and reached the bestseller lists. She has since become one of the nation’s best-loved poets. Dr has written that: "Wendy Cope is without doubt the wittiest of contemporary English poets, and says a lot of extremely serious things".<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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Wendy explains that the title of this collection came to her in a dream, and that she was relieved to receive Kingsley Amis’ approval (bothÌýfor the title, and its contents). Answering Ìýquestions from Ian McMillan and our Poetry Book Club audience, Wendy demystifies writing poetry, tracing the roots of her clear style back to her career as a primary school teacher. She defends humour in poetry, ‘second rate does not equal funny’; and offers an insight into what her poetic alter ego Jason Strugnell might be up to in 2016.