Poems on the Underground marks 40th anniversary

They are credited with bringing creative inspiration to millions every day - a simple idea that has been copied in cities across the world.

In 1986 the first Poems on the Underground appeared in Tube carriages, and both commuters and visitors to London have been pondering their meaning ever since.

Transport for London will be marking the 40th anniversary of this "art for all" project with new works, poetry readings and displays of poems at London Underground stations.

TfL said the programme "helps to make journeys more stimulating and inspiring by showcasing a range of poetry in Tube train carriages across London".

The poems are selected by Judith Chernaik, the American writer who came up with idea of Poems on the Underground, along with poets George Szirtes and Imtiaz Dharker.

The project has inspired copycats in Paris, New York, Beijing, Shanghai, Warsaw and Moscow.

The first poems, which appeared in January 1986, were Up in the Morning early by Robert Burns, Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley, This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams, The Railway Children by Seamus Heaney and Like a Beacon by Grace Nichols.

TfL said the programme has brought world-class poetry to millions of London Underground customers, "transforming daily journeys into moments of reflection and connection".

The transport authority plans to host a special commemorative event on Friday 30 January at Bank Tube station to officially mark the milestone.

London poets whose work has featured in the scheme over the years will be invited to attend the event, alongside poetry readings from staff poets and other poetry lovers.

A new set of winter Poems on the Underground will launch on 9 February, including works by contemporary British poets – Syzygy by Rachel Boast, A Short Piece of Choral Music by Jonathan Davidson, and Narcissus by Blake Morrison.

It also features a haiku by Kobayahsi Issa with original calligraphy by Yukki Yaura, and verses by the Romanian poet Mircea Dinescu and the American Jane Hirshfield.

TfL also will be featuring some of the first 100 poems at five selected stations, continuing the expansion of the project beyond train carriages.

Poems will be featured at Aldgate East, Heathrow, Seven Sisters, St. John's Wood, and Westminster.

Justine Simons OBE, London's deputy mayor for culture, hailed the project for 40 years of "moments of reflection, joy, solace and so much more as we make our way through the hustle and bustle of the Tube".

She added: "Much loved by Londoners as part of the familiar furniture of our city, they are incredibly popular with visitors too. Art and culture are for everyone and Poems on the Underground brings creative inspiration to millions every day, helping us build a better London for everyone."

All poems displayed on the Tube network since Poems on the Underground was founded in 1986 can be found in their original poster form on the 'Poems on the Underground' website.

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