Make a note in your calendars now for the next Free Verse Poetry Book & Magazine Fair! Free Verse regulars will notice The Poetry Society is returning to a previous venue – Conway Hall – with a brand new date for a memorable day of poetry press sales, conversations and celebration. Details of book, pamphlet […]
highlights
Annie Yim – The Poet Speaks: From Debussy to Pärt
In celebration of National Poetry Day, pianist Annie Yim performs solo works with recorded voices in a poetry-inspired concert, featuring her fascinating MusicArt cross-disciplinary collaborations. Joining the Guildhall alumna for live dialogues will be the poet Zaffar Kunial – shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize 2018 – and composers Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Raymond Yiu. Presented […]
National Poetry Competition readings at The Poetry Café – Stephen Sexton with Jane Yeh and Kirsten Irving
l-r: Jane Yeh (credit: Andy Forest), Kirsten Irving, Stephen Sexton (credit: Michael Weir) As the weeks count down towards the deadline for the 2019 National Poetry Competition on 31st October (enter here), The Poetry Society is delighted to welcome the competition’s 2016 winner Stephen Sexton who will read from his new debut collection If All […]
A tribute to Carole Satyamurti
We are sorry to announce the death of Carole Satyamurti, poet, sociologist, teacher and former winner of the National Poetry Competition, who died on 13 August. Carole was the author of six collections of poetry – her first three with Oxford University Press and the three thereafter with Bloodaxe. Stitching the Dark: New & Selected […]
Young Poets Takeover 17 August 2019
It’s the summer, which means it’s time for another Young Poets Takeover! This will be our fifth Takeover of The Poetry Café, as part of The Poetry Society’s programme for young writers. We are pushing young voices to the fore – so if you want to hear from the up-and-coming stars of the poetry world, […]
Young Poets Network Poetry in Translation workshop with Clare Pollard
Have you ever translated a poem? This summer, The Poetry Society’s Young Poets Network has teamed up with Modern Poetry in Translation to challenge young writers worldwide to try their hand at translating poetry. Find out more about the challenge here. As part of this partnership we’re delighted to offer writers aged 14-25 a free […]
Ledbury Festival Showcase: John Masefield High School Students with Foyle Young Poets
(left to right: Mukahang Limbu – picture credit: Cesare Di Giglio, Phoebe Power, Lucy Thynne) Three Foyle Young Poets, Mukahang Limbu, Lucy Thynne and Forward Prize winner Phoebe Power will be reading at this free event as part of the Ledbury Poetry Festival. The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award for poets aged […]
National Poetry Competition readings at Ledbury
(l-r) Wayne Holloway-Smith, Katie Griffiths, Ella Frears The 2018 National Poetry Competition saw 10 prize winners chosen by the judges, from over 14,000 poems. This is your chance to hear readings from three of those fantastic commended and winning poets at Ledbury Poetry Festival. Commended poet Ella Frears, whose pamphlet Passivity, Electricity, Acclivity was published […]
The Poetry Review Summer Launch
THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED: please email [email protected] to be put on the waiting list, and we’ll let you know if a place becomes available. Please join us in The Poetry Café as we celebrate the launch of the Summer issue of The Poetry Review. Introduced by Editor Emily Berry, our exciting line-up of readers […]
Poetry Society & Faber present New Voices at Hebden Bridge Festival
(l-r) Wayne Holloway-Smith, Rachael Allen (credit: Daniela Silva), Zaffar Kunial (credit: Kevin Lake), Yvonne Reddick (credit: Hayley Madden) The Poetry Society and Faber are partnering to present an exciting quartet of striking poetry voices who are fast-gaining in reputation through recent publications and award wins. Join us for what promises to be a fabulous evening […]
Young Poets Takeover with Chicago Youth Poet Laureates
Get ready – on Saturday 15 June we’re hosting our fourth free Young Poets Takeover. This time we’re extremely excited to be joined by three incredible young poets from Chicago who are taking the US poetry world by storm. Natalie Richardson, Kara Jackson and Patricia Frazier will be in London as part of a unique […]
Poem-A-Thon at the Poetry Cafe
A non-stop Poem-a-Thon featuring an astonishing line-up of sixty poets over ten hours raising money for The Poetry Society. Each poet will read for eight minutes, entry is by donation, and you can come and go as you please. There’ll also be a tombola – your chance to win fabulous prizes! It’s going to […]
Kate Wakeling at the NOW Gallery
The Poetry Society is pleased to present a special reading of both children’s poetry and adult poetry from award-winning poet Kate Wakeling, held at the NOW Gallery on the Greenwich Peninsula, London. The event is one of seven literary events to tie in with NOW Gallery’s exhibition, ‘The Mouse and His Child’, named after the […]
The Poetry Review Spring Launch
Please join us in The Poetry Café as we celebrate the launch of the Spring issue of The Poetry Review. Introduced by Editor Emily Berry, our exciting line-up of readers will be Sophie Collins, Inua Ellams and Carolyn Jess-Cooke. Tickets are FREE but must be reserved in advance at [email protected] • Doors open at 7pm, readings […]
Jean Sprackland and Martha Sprackland
A rare mother and daughter double bill, this one! We welcome two poets from the same family for a night out at the Poetry Cafe – Jean Sprackland reading from her newly published book Green Noise, and Martha Sprackland reading recent work and new translations. Jean Sprackland is a poet and writer. She is the […]
National Poetry Competition 40th anniversary readings at Kings Place
Join us for at a celebratory 40th anniversary event for the National Poetry Competition – one of the most prestigious poetry competitions in the world – featuring readings and new commissions from some of the UK’s finest writers. The Poetry Society presents a dazzling line-up of ten poets who have gained recognition through the National […]
Winning Lines: a National Poetry Competition workshop with Mary Jean Chan
Join Mary Jean Chan in an interactive creative writing workshop which will hone in on some of the victorious poems from the past 40 years of the National Poetry Competition. You will explore these winning poems through group discussion and critical analysis, and undertake creative writing exercises to draw inspiration from these works and help bring new […]
Peggy Poole Award readings – Yvonne Reddick and Deryn Rees-Jones at The Bluecoat
The Poetry Society presents a special event featuring readings and Q & A from poet Yvonne Reddick, the winner of the inaugural Peggy Poole Award – a new talent development award recognising emerging writers in the North West of England – alongside the judge of this year’s competition, celebrated poet and critic Deryn Rees-Jones. Yvonne Reddick is the author of Ted […]
An Entertainment for W.S. Graham
with Rachael Boast, Emily Critchley, Sarah Howe & guests “These words said welcome. Fare / Them well from what they are.” – from ‘Letter I’ by W.S. Graham Join us for a celebration of W.S. Graham with Rachael Boast, Emily Critchley, Sarah Howe and guests, reading poems inspired by Graham’s life and enduring legacy. Doors […]
London Transport Museum Friday Late: London Love Stories
The Poetry Society is pleased to bring poetry to an excitingly colourful programme at the ‘Friday Late: London Love Stories’ event at the London Transport Museum, an evening that coincides with the museum’s latest exhibition Poster Prize for Illustration: London Stories – a collection of remarkable personal illustrations, each capturing a different story inspired by life in, and love of, […]
Jane Slavin, Joseph Butler, Hannah Lowe and Alison Brackenbury at the Poetry Café: National Poetry Competition readings
Before the winners are announced in March for 2018’s competition, a chance to hear National Poetry Competition 2017 commended poets Jane Slavin and Joseph Butler, whose poems last year reached the top 10 out of over 13,000 entries. They will read alongside poet Hannah Lowe, one of the three judges of that year’s competition, who […]
The Poetry Review Winter launch
This event is now fully booked. Email [email protected] to be added to the waiting list and we’ll let you know if a space becomes available. Please join us in The Poetry Café as we celebrate the launch of the Winter issue of The Poetry Review. Introduced by Editor Emily Berry, our exciting line-up readers will be […]
Surprised! – Rousseau poetry workshop with Tamar Yoseloff
The Poetry Society presents a workshop in partnership with The National Gallery with poet Tamar Yoseloff who will guide you in creating your own poem inspired by Henri Rousseau’s famous oil-on-canvas painting Surprised! (also known as Tiger in a Tropical Storm). Tamar Yoseloff is a visiting guest lecturer at Newcastle University on the Poetry School […]
A Cross-Disciplinary Music Performance in Three Acts: Rauschenberg and Cage
To coincide with the exhibitions ‘Robert Rauschenberg: Spreads 1975-83’ and ‘John Cage: Ryoanji’, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac and MusicArt supported by The Poetry Society present the world premiere of a musical performance inspired by Robert Rauschenberg’s collaborations with the pioneering avant-garde American composer John Cage. Co-created and performed by pianist Annie Yim with poet Kayo Chingonyi and composer […]
Look North More Often 2018: Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ceremony
Christmas is on its way once more – and in one of London’s favourite traditions, the famous Norwegian Christmas Tree will soon begin its journey to Trafalgar Square. The Poetry Society and the Royal Norwegian Embassy are once again encircling the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree in poetry, to celebrate the City of Oslo’s annual gift […]
The Poetry Society AGM 2018
Members of The Poetry Society are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 28 November 2018. Even if you’re not a member of The Poetry Society, we warmly welcome you to attend the free celebratory readings. The readings will be led by Hugo Williams, a two-time winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize and awarded the […]
SLAMbassadors Showcase
Join poetry legend Joelle Taylor in the St Pancras Room at King’s Place, London, as she presents the next big names in spoken word. Eight incredible new talents will share work created as part of a weekend of SLAMbassadors Masterclasses, and we’ll also hear from emerging spoken word artists hand-picked by Joelle for their raw […]
Poetry in Aldeburgh: National Poetry Competition at 40
To mark the fortieth year of one the world’s landmark poetry prizes, we hear from four past and present winners, including Philip Gross, who won first prize in 1982, Dom Bury, winner of the 2017 National Poetry Competition, Yvonne Reddick, commended in the 2017 competition and winner of the prize’s inaugural Peggy Poole Award, and Liz Berry, […]
And the Air Sang: 20 Years of Foyle Young Poets
Book now for an amazing starry performance featuring some of the most exciting new voices in contemporary poetry. Hear from ten inspiring writers who all started their poetry journeys by winning the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award: Jay Bernard, Sarah Howe, Phoebe Stuckes, Richard Osmond, Helen Mort, AK Blakemore, Holly Hopkins, Jade Cuttle, […]
Waterways with Jasper Winn and Nancy Campbell
Join Canal & River Trust Writer in Residence Jasper Winn and Canal Laureate Nancy Campbell on-board Ikon’s Slow Boat as they share their work inspired by canals and discuss their passion for Britain’s waterways. For 150 years canals were the high-tech water machine driving the industrial revolution. Amazing feats of engineering, they carried the rural […]
Poetry Review Autumn 2018 launch
Please join us at a celebration of the Autumn issue of The Poetry Review in The Poetry Café. Our readers will be contributors Alison Winch, Chris McCabe and Sandeep Parmar, introduced by Review Editor Emily Berry (readings begin at 7.30pm). We will also screen a filmed reading by Safia Elhillo. About the readers Chris McCabe is a […]
Free Verse: The Poetry Book and Magazine Fair
Free Verse is an all-day bazaar, market, library, meeting place, performance venue, information resource and more. Celebrating the vitality of contemporary poetry in the UK, publishers and organisations both large and small, both experimental and traditional, display and sell their work direct to the public. Free Verse is managed by The Poetry Society for the […]
Third Thursdays with Miller Harris: Amy Key
A reading in an ongoing series of poetry events curated by The Poetry Society at the new Miller Harris ‘Poet’ store in Westfield London in Shepherd’s Bush. This reading will feature poet Amy Key, who recently released her collection Isn’t Forever with Bloodaxe Books. Amy Key’s first collection Luxe was published by Salt in 2013. She is the author […]
In Town Tonight: Heather Christle with Jack Underwood and Paige Lewis
A chance to hear visiting US-poet Heather Christle, author of four poetry collections (Heliopause, What Is Amazing, The Difficult Farm, and The Trees The Trees, which won the 2012 Believer Poetry Award), who hails from a small Ohio village, where she is writing a book of prose about crying. Heather will be joined by Jack Underwood, author of Faber […]
Henry Normal: This Phantom Breath
‘The Alan Bennett of poetry’ – The Scotsman ‘Dovetails bittersweet poetry with a sublimely observant wit’ – The Guardian Last time Henry Normal read at The Poetry Cafe, tickets sold out in a flash. It was a fantastic evening of jokes, stories and poems, so we are very pleased to welcome him back for a reading from […]
Latin American Poetry Night
‘Blackbird’s gone – until next year’s bonanza. He left a simple cup nest full of dried twigs, hairs – courtyard detritus barely hanging on a wisteria climber that never flowers’ (from ‘Cycles’ by Leo Boix) Come and join us for a night of brilliant Latin American poetry – two poets and a translator Diego Alegría […]
In Town Tonight: Leah Umansky and Ruth Padel
Welcome to In Town Tonight, the reading series where The Poetry Society invites a visiting poet to perform alongside a guest writer of their choice. Leah Umansky chose Ruth Padel to be her reading partner tonight – both are authors of new books, and share an interest in the stories that inform us and the stories we […]
The Power of Poetry: Megan Beech at Apple
Join award-winning performance poet Megan Beech as part of our month-long collaboration with Apple at their Regent’s St store throughout July. In this session, you’ll explore how the spoken word can be used to tackle social issues and what impact we can have by raising our voices. Then you’ll get hands-on with iPad Pro and […]
Poetry in Practice with Will Harris at Apple
Join poet Will Harris as part of our month-long collaboration with Apple Regent’s St. You discover where he finds inspiration, and explore the structure of his writing. You’ll discuss how poetry can focus on a single moment and how it resonates with you. Then you’ll put his techniques into practice with iPad Pro and Apple […]
Poetry Review Summer 2018 launch
(L-R) Raymond Antrobus (photo: Caleb Femi); Liz Berry; Martina Evans (photo: Joanne O’Brien) – Please note: we have brought forward the start time of this event to 7pm – Join us at a celebration of the Summer issue of The Poetry Review in The Poetry Café. Our readers will be contributors Raymond Antrobus, Liz Berry […]