AN American who has been called "the poetic chronicler of the AIDS plague" will be one of the big names at this year's Ledbury Poetry Festival.

The poet is Mark Doty, who has published six books of poems and gained widespread acclaim with his third, My Alexandria, which came out in 1993.

An essay by the American critic, Tim Dean explains: "Doty is a gay poet of the AIDS epidemic. Almost all of the poems of My Alexandria were composed in the wake of learning that his lover, Wally Roberts, was HIV-positive."

Since then, Doty has demonstrated further breadth in his creative field.

Ledbury Poetry Festival director Dr Charles Bennet says that although Doty is little known in the UK, he could well become "the next American Laureate".

He said: "People should see him while they have the chance!"

Doty, who is 51 and teaches at the University of Houston, believes that America's modern poetry, "a vibrant and diverse endeavour", is among the last century's brighter achievements.

This year's Ledbury Poetry Festival runs from July 2 to July 11 and is scheduled to have something of an American and international theme.