One of the most challenging aspects of grief is that it leaves us with emotions that can be incredibly difficult to express. Fortunately, as Joanna Scanlan notes, 'Poets do the job for us, and thank God that they do!' The star of The Thick of It is among 11 actors and poets, including Alison Steadman and bestselling poet Donna Ashworth, who are reading poems in memory of their departed loved ones to mark Celebration Day, an annual occasion dedicated to remembering those who have passed away.
What is Celebration Day?
Held every year on the last Monday in May, this movement has gained momentum since its inception in 2022 by Sir Alan Parker in collaboration with the National Trust and Hospice UK, and supported by notable figures such as Stephen Fry, Richard E Grant, and Prue Leith. Inspired by global festivities like Mexico's Day of the Dead, Celebration Day encourages busy Britons to pause and reflect on how the deceased have shaped their lives.
Poems to Remember Film Series
To commemorate this year's event, writer and anthologist Ellie Esiri has curated Poems to Remember, a series of heartfelt short films featuring readings by actors and poets filmed inside Dr Johnson's House, the preserved 17th-century London home of writer Samuel Johnson. The videos will be published exclusively on The Independent website leading up to Celebration Day on 25 May, starting with Lucas Jones, a 29-year-old actor-turned-poet from Cambridgeshire whose words have amassed over one million admirers on social media, on Wednesday 21 May.
Participants and Their Readings
Participants this year include stage star Nathanial Parker, who reads Johnson's 'On the Death of Dr Robert Levet' in memory of his mother, a dedicated NHS GP. Sophie Thompson, known for Detectorists, features internet-favourite poet Wendy Cope, selecting 'The Orange' to honour three independent greengrocers—Mr Roberts, Mr Naidu, and Tony's—'who have had an extraordinary impact on my life when I thought about it'.
Ophelia Lovibond honours TV presenter Caroline Flack, who died by suicide in 2020, crediting poetry with helping her 'find my feet again' after the 'sudden and shocking' loss of her close friend. Lovibond reads Christina Rossetti's 1849 poem 'Remember': 'I had never experienced this gulf… this absence, and yet her absence felt like a presence at the same time. It was so hard to talk about it, and genuinely, poetry was so helpful in feeding me a line and helping to pull me back in.'
Joanna Scanlan recited Robert Browning's 1889 poem 'Now' in honour of her childhood friend Sarah, who died as a teenager after being hit by a car. She emphasised the importance of sharing grief, noting that after her husband's death in World War II, her grandmother 'swallowed those feelings in the form of 12 bottles of whisky a week'.
Exploring the Happiness of Grief
Through poetry, these 11 actors and writers have gained a deeper understanding of grief's complex, ever-present nature, learning to navigate the ebb and flow of a loss that never truly fades. 'It's the first time in my life that I've explored the happiness of grief,' says Hussain Manawer, whose reading of his own poem 'Soft Heart' pays tribute to his late mother.
The Big Toast
This year's Celebration Day will culminate in The Big Toast on Monday 25 May, when the nation is encouraged to raise a glass to someone who shaped their life.
