Standing Female Nude

The first collection by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, originally published in 1985.

Carol Ann Duffy is a Scottish poet and playwright known for clear, accessible poetry that explores love, identity, gender, and contemporary social issues. Her work often gives voice to people on the margins and reimagines familiar stories from new perspectives.

Her acclaimed collections include Standing Female Nude, Mean Time, and Rapture, blending intimate emotion with wit and dramatic monologue. Duffy’s poems frequently examine memory, relationships, and the power of language.

From 2009 to 2019, she served as the United Kingdom’s Poet Laureate—the first woman to hold the role—helping bring poetry to wider public audiences.