Ten poets have been invited to take part in the project, which sees them matched with the collections of the University’s museums and institutions, with the aim of producing poems inspired and informed by Cambridge’s remarkable collections. The Poet Laureate, speaking about the project, said: “This really is an unprecedented initiative and very exciting for everyone involved; myself, the poets and the university.” The access provided to the collections and expert curators will be exceptional, with artefacts including Captain Scott’s farewell letter to his wife, and specimens from Charles Darwin’s Beagle Voyage which inspired his famous theory of evolution, kept in the collections of Cambridge’s museums.

The poets selected are a mixture of up and coming and more established writers, including Gillian Clarke and Don Paterson. Those chosen represent a number of different nationalities and backgrounds. Duffy explained “these ten poets represent the best of poetry being written at the moment”.

They are to spend two weeks in residence at their allotted institutions between January and March of next year. The poets were matched up with collections after consultation with the institutions and according to their preferences. The Project is part of the ‘Connecting Collections’ initiative, funded by generous awards from Arts Council England, as well as contributions from the University, Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council.

It is hoped that the University’s involvement in the Connecting Collections scheme will further develop Cambridge’s cultural offerings, enriching local communities and bringing visitors and investment to the city.

A significant aspect of the scheme is its stated aim to “form new connections with those from areas of low cultural engagement”, and open their eyes to the diverse range of cultural objects and artefacts on offer in the museums. The poets and institutions will invite around 150 people, including pupils from local schools and young carers, to visit the collections and develop their creative writing skills.

Cambridge University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, said that the project signalled “our continuing commitment to open up the University’s museums and collections to wider audiences.” The university library will keep an archive of drafts and notes made by the poets during the project.

An anthology of ten new poems inspired by the experience of the scheme will be published in March 2013, and the poems will also be made available online.