Agenda (London, England)

The poetry journal Agenda was established in 1959 as a revival of an earlier publication, Four Pages . Agenda 's founding editor was William C. Cookson; the associate editor was Edmund Gray. Gray was eventually replaced by Michael O'Higgins. In 1962 Agenda was reorganized and the magazine's editorial policy was reevaluated. At that time, Cookson appointed Peter Dale associate editor and chief poetry reviewer.

Agenda began publication out of New College, Oxford; throughout most of its history, however, it has been produced in London. At first issued monthly, by 1961 two numbers comprised one issue and eventually Agenda became a quarterly. Beginning in 1965 Agenda received regular grants from the Arts Council of Great Britain; this ongoing support has been a contributing factor in the success of the magazine.

Cookson initially based Agenda 's editorial policy on the literary and economic ideas of Ezra Pound. Over time he came to believe that the magazine was straying from its original direction and, in 1962, Cookson decided that Agenda would "contain only the best poetry." The magazine would also include a regular review section, "criteria of which would be based upon Pound's early basic rules of criticism", and articles on both neglected poets and those with "inflated" reputations.

By 1965 the magazine had adopted a large format with cover lettering by David Jones. Entire issues were often devoted to the work of a single poet (David Jones, Wyndham Lewis, and Ezra Pound) or to a specific type of poetry (French poetry, American poetry, or verse drama). These issues sometimes employed guest editors, such as Donald Davie and Charles Tomlinson.

In 1971 Cookson and Peter Dale began the publication of "Agenda Editions," the purpose of which was to publish in book format the same type of poetry as appeared in the magazine. The first "Edition" issued was Peter Dale's translation of François Villon's The Legacy and Other Poems . Subsequent volumes include The Roman Quarry, by David Jones, Mortal Fire, by Peter Dale, Footsteps on Snow and The Curving Shore, both by Anne Beresford, and The Mystery of the Charity of Charles Peguy, by Geoffrey Hill.

Since William Cookson's death in 2003, Agenda has been published under the editorial guidance of Patricia McCarthy.

From the guide to the Agenda records, 1914-2001, 1969-2001, (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)