'This Is The Place' – Tony Walsh's Manchester Poem, Commissioned by Forever Manchester
'This Is The Place' is a poem commissioned by Forever Manchester from Tony Walsh in 2012 and one that would go on to capture the world's attention.
In May 2017, the day after the Manchester Arena attack, Tony Walsh performed the poem on the steps of Manchester Town Hall. It trended fourth in the world and was picked up by CNN, ABC, and newspapers from The New Yorker to The South China Morning Post.
In a moment when the city needed words, 'This Is The Place' gave Manchester a sense of pride and unity. It has since become synonymous with the city and the resilience of its people, appearing on artworks, buildings and merchandise across Manchester ever since.
The poem has inspired a book, a record and a piece of public artwork, and has helped raise over £150,000 for three charities to date. Tony Walsh gifted ownership of the poem to Forever Manchester, meaning the charity now holds all rights to its use.
Own a piece of Manchester's story.
I kept this one more measured and factual rather than punchy given the subject matter (referencing the Arena attack), and used "Morning Post" for South China Morning Post since that's the actual publication name — worth double-checking your source material used the right outlet name. Let me know if you'd like the CTA changed to something more specific, like linking directly to the product it's paired with (print, book, postcard, etc.).
