Abstract :
The Touchstones series of poetry anthologies was first published in the UK
between 1968 and 1972 in five volumes. Over a million copies and three revisions later,
Touchstones Now 11–14 appeared in the summer of 2008. Few, if any, books for the classroom
can claim such longevity. In this article, the compilers of the anthologies, Michael and Peter
Benton, look back over the 40 years of the series’ life. They reflect upon the principles which
have guided their choices; and the social and political pressures, often exerted by governments,
which they have confronted in their attempt to help school students become enthusiastic,
committed and discriminating readers of poetry.
