As part of the 2026 Canterbury festival, past King’s parent and distinguished filmmaker, Peter Williams MBE will be showing his latest documentary, Poets’ War. A world premiere, the film shines a light on the poetry of the Second World War and in particular focuses on the work of American Louis Simpson and King’s Poet-in-Residence, Vernon Scannell.

Vernon’s tenure at King's was for the Autumn Term of 1979. He published a collection of poems, Of Love and Music, to mark his time at the School – a limited-edition collection which was printed by Mr. Wilkinson, Head of Biology and went on to be sold in the school shop for £1.50 a copy.

Vernon’s name appears often in the Cantuarian of that year. He donated a collection of his books to the library, submitted two of his poems for the poetry section and came back the following Summer to host a Reading in St. Augustine’s refectory. The Cantuarian notes this occasion for the insights it offered into his writing process, which gave ‘relief to some of the boys who had always found it difficult to reconcile the man's jauntiness with the gloom and despair of some of his anthologised poems’!

He also appeared in one of the pupil poems, written by a 5th, showing perhaps just how much the pupils were inspired by his presence!

Spot-Check at Sixteen

I sit on a hard bench in the half-dark.

Tonight there is no time for my usual lark.

I find prep boring and I’m not too bright,

So I tackle this poem without much fight.

 

Sitting in the corner all on my own

Far off, I can hear the other swots groan.

I write this poem in a pen I bought cheap.

I am not too tired, though half asleep.

 

I don’t feel so well. A spot-check on

The poem and its contents only find

I’m not very good. (I hope Mr Milford won’t mind.)

But at sixteen I’m bored with the same old routine!

 

A hunger pang in my stomach reminds me

That I didn’t eat very much at tea,

And my concentration, which was never phenomenal,

Is now obscured by my rumblings abdominal.

 

Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered at all,

But this lack of work could be my downfall.

And Mr Craik takes preventative steps

To stop me jocking any more English preps.

 

Six verses scored and still I’m here;

I raise my cup to the last few lines

But as I toast, anticipate, without fear,

The old Headmaster and his cunning leer.

 

(With apologies to Vernon Scannell).

If you would like to attend the Film Screening and learn more about Vernon and this fascinating subject, the event takes place at Canterbury Christ Church University’s Augustine Hall on Wednesday 29th October at 5pm. You can book your tickets here on the Canterbury Festival website. Following the screening, there will be a discussion with poet, author and educationalist, Pie Corbett.