Cancer is a subject the poet laureate Simon Armitage has always shied away from. “I find it very daunting,” he said. “I’ve lost friends and family to cancer.”
But when he was commissioned to write a poem to mark World Cancer Day, he was forced to confront the realities of the disease. “I think I saw part of my task as being slightly demystifying and maybe de-mythologising or de-demonising cancer a little bit to myself,” Armitage said.
He was asked to write the poem, titled The Campaign, by Yorkshire Cancer Research, a charity that funds research and works with people affected by cancer across his native Yorkshire.
“My initial thoughts, as with every commission, is that I can’t do this, don’t really know where to start,” Armitage said. “But that’s the challenge really, and I like the idea that the subject is the sort of puzzle, and the poem is the solution.”
In Yorkshire, someone is diagnosed with cancer every 17 minutes. Before writing the poem, Armitage met with 17 people from across Yorkshire – researchers, families, fundraisers and people living with cancer – at the Yorkshire Cancer Research center in Harrogate.”The thing that really galvanised everything for me was spending time at the centre,” he said. “that was incredibly inspiring, very moving as well, and I think that’s always the place where poetry wants to go to, to the emotional part.”
He added: “I knew that I didn’t want to write somthing mawkish and sentimental, particularly as on the day I went to the centre there was a huge amount of optimism and hope in the room.”
One of the people Armitage met was Gary Lovelace, a former headteacher who lives with stage 4 kidney cancer.
“What was important for me was it finishes on a positive note,” Lovelace said, ”with the classic line at the end of turning Yorkshire into a verb and saying, ‘we keep on Yorkshiring on’ I thought was a really inspirational finish, and I found it powerful.”
“Reading it I found I had all those emotions,” he said. “But hearing Simon speak with his dialect, his Yorkshire voice, his pace, his intonation, just really brought it to life, and made it a very special piece of work for me.”
Dr Kathryn Scott, the chief executive of Yorkshire Cancer Research, said when she first read the poem: “I have to admit, I had a little tear in my eye.”
The charity commissioned the poem because, she said, “of our centenary year and really wanting to mark it with something a bit different, and something that is there in perpetuity, something that’s a real symbol of that milestone of 100 years”.
The metaphorical dragon that features in the poem is taken from a speech by
Okay, I understand. I will analyze the provided text only to identify the topic and then perform adversarial research,focusing on verifying any factual claims related to that topic,checking for updates as of January 27,2026,and providing a geographically-focused analysis of entities mentioned. I will adhere strictly to the constraints: no rewriting, paraphrasing, mirroring, reusing structure/wording, or reproducing errors from the source.
PHASE 1: ADVERSARIAL RESEARCH & FRESHNESS CHECK
1.Topic Identification:
The poem is fundamentally about the fight against cancer. It uses the metaphor of slaying a dragon to represent the various methods used in cancer treatment and fundraising efforts. It also references a specific regional identity, “Yorkshiring on,” suggesting a focus on fundraising and community spirit within Yorkshire, England.
2. Factual Claim Verification & updates (as of 2026/01/27 21:40:50):
The poem doesn’t present explicit factual claims in the sense of statistics or dates. Though, it implicitly references:
* Cancer Treatment Methods: The poem lists “tablets and pills,” “photons, protons, compounds and hormones,” “magnets,” “needles for lances,” and “surgery” (implied by “skilful hands”).
* Cancer Types: Prostate, bladder, bowel, breast, lung, and skin cancer are specifically mentioned.
* Cancer Research/Fundraising: The poem highlights charity donations and community events (marathons, tea dances, etc.).
Verification & Updates:
* Cancer Treatment methods: as of January 2026, cancer treatment continues to evolve rapidly. The methods listed are all still in use, but meaningful advancements have been made in:
* Immunotherapy: This has become a major pillar of cancer treatment, utilizing the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. It wasn’t as prominent in cancer treatment as it is indeed now in earlier years.(Source: National Cancer Institute – https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy)
* Targeted therapy: Drugs designed to specifically attack cancer cells with particular genetic mutations are increasingly common. (Source: American Cancer Society - https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments/targeted-therapy.html)
* Gene Editing (CRISPR): While still largely experimental, gene editing technologies are showing promise in clinical trials for certain cancers. (Source: Nature – https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03664-x)
* Cancer Incidence: Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally. Incidence rates vary by cancer type and geographic location. Recent data (2024/2025) from the World Health Association (WHO) indicates a continued rise in overall cancer cases, largely due to aging populations and lifestyle factors. (Source: World Health Organization - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer)
* Fundraising: Cancer Research UK and other organizations continue to rely heavily on public donations and fundraising events. Digital fundraising platforms have become increasingly critically important. (Source: Cancer Research UK - https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/)
Breaking News Check: As of January 27, 2026, there are no major breaking news events directly contradicting the general themes of the poem (ongoing cancer research, treatment, and fundraising). However, several pharmaceutical companies have recently announced positive Phase 3 trial results for new cancer therapies, which is ongoing news.
3. Latest Verified Status: Cancer treatment is continually evolving,with immunotherapy,targeted therapies,and gene editing showing significant promise. Cancer remains a major global health challenge, and fundraising efforts are crucial for supporting research and patient care.
PHASE 2: ENTITY-BASED GEO (GEN)
* Cancer: A global health issue, not geographically bound, but incidence rates vary substantially by region due to factors like lifestyle, genetics, and access to healthcare.
* Yorkshire, England: The poem explicitly references “Yorkshiring on,” indicating a strong regional connection. Yorkshire has a history of strong community fundraising efforts for various causes, including cancer research. Cancer incidence rates in Yorkshire are broadly similar to national averages in the UK, but there are localized variations. (Source: Public Health England – data available through regional health authorities).
* National Health Service (NHS) (implied): The poem’s
