Enjoy 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 Poetry Competition’s 40-year history, including double-winners Jo Shapcott and Ian Duhig. Supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation. Full line-up to […]
highlights
In Town Tonight: Hisham Bustani and Phoebe Power
Save the date for a very special In Town Tonight with Hisham Bustani and Phoebe Power Hisham Bustani is an award-winning Jordanian author of five collections of short fiction and poetry. He is acclaimed for his bold style and unique narrative voice, and often experiments with the boundaries of short fiction and prose poetry. Much […]
SLAMbassadors Showcase
Join poetry legend Joelle Taylor 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 poetic potential. All this headlined […]
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 […]
What’s Your Metaphor?; Dean Atta at Apple
As part of our month-long collaboration with Apple throughout July, join poet and drag queen Dean Atta to explore how metaphors are used to bring us closer to the truth. You’ll discover how Atta uses his personal metaphor, The Black Flamingo, as inspiration for his drag persona. Then you’ll find your own persona to put […]
“I don’t give back a word”: National Poetry Competition 40th anniversary readings at Ledbury Festival
A special 40th anniversary readings event featuring the 2017 winners Dom Bury, Mary Jean Chan and Momtaza Mehri reading alongside two poetry greats from the competition’s heritage Jo Shapcott (twice winner in 1985 and 1991) and Pascale Petit (judge of the 2017 competition). Plus short discussion and Q&A. The Ledbury Poetry Festival is this year […]
Each imagined pinnacle: new poems inspired by sculpture at the British Museum
We’re delighted to be working alongside The British Museum on a series of new commissions inspired by its exhibition Rodin and the Art of Ancient Greece (running 26 April – 29 July 2018, #rodinexhibition). Keith Jarrett, Laura Scott and Richard Scott have been regular visitors to the exhibition in search of ideas, textures and histories […]
“When I ask you to listen”: Peter Kahn, Malika Booker and Nick Makoha
The Poetry Society is delighted to present a special reading celebrating legendary writers’ collective Malika’s Kitchen, featuring visiting Chicago-based poet Peter Kahn, who was recently commended in the 2017 National Poetry Competition with the poem ‘Till It’s Gone‘, a ‘Golden Shovel’ poem after Joni Mitchell. Peter is the founder of Malika’s Kitchen’s Chicago branch. Peter will be […]
Readings with Miller Harris: Rachel Long & Flora de Falbe
The first in a series of poetry events curated by The Poetry Society at the new Miller Harris ‘Poet’ store in Westfield London. This reading will feature poets Rachel Long, founder of Octavia – Poetry Collective for Womxn of Colour at London’s Southbank Centre, and Flora de Falbe, twice winner of the Foyle Young Poets of […]
New Windrush-themed Poems on the Underground
Today, 22 June 2018, marks 70 years since migrants from the Caribbean disembarked Windrush at Tilbury Docks, Essex. To commemorate this landmark anniversary, the summer set of Poems on the Underground has a Windrush theme, featuring poets from and around the Caribbean: James Berry, Andrew Salkey, Jean Binta Breeze, Lorna Goodison, Kwame Dawes and Grace Nichols. […]
Exhibition Launch: Voices from the Row
Join us for the launch of Voices from the Row, featuring art and poetry from prisoners on death row in San Quentin in the US. In the words of one of the prisoners, “This exhibition of work shows that poetry and art has the power to not only exist in a place akin to hell, […]
Nobody: Alice Oswald and William Tillyer
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, this event has now had to be cancelled; all tickets purchased will be refunded by the How To Academy In association with the How To Academy, The Poetry Society presents Alice Oswald, widely regarded as one of the finest living British poets in collaboration with William Tillyer, one of Britain’s […]
In Town Tonight: Hera Lindsay Bird and Joe Dunthorne
Welcome to In Town Tonight, the reading series where The Poetry Society invites a visiting poet to perform alongside a local guest writer of their choice. Hera Lindsay Bird chose Joe Dunthorne to be her cross-continental partner for tonight’s event, in what will be a dynamic meeting of poetic minds. Hera Lindsay Bird is a writer from Wellington. Her debut […]
In Town Tonight: Elaine Kahn, Meryl Pugh and Ariana Reines
The Poetry Society presents an opportunity to hear visiting LA-poet Elaine Kahn at the Poetry Café. Elaine is a writer, musician and artist, author of Women in Public (City Lights, 2015) as well as several poetry chapbooks. She is an instructor of creative writing at Poetry Field School. Elaine will read alongside Ariana Reines, American poet, […]
Sophie Herxheimer’s Poetry Big Top
In association with the Victoria & Albert Museum, as part of the V&A Performance Festival 2018 Whether you’re a daredevil horseback rider or a long-faced clown, you’ll be welcome to join sequin spangled artist-poet Sophie Herxheimer at her painted big top to make a spectacular circus of poems and pictures. Take home a flight of […]
Walking and Reverie: A Writing and Drawing Workshop
This dynamic workshop with visual artist Zoe Benbow and poet Sarah Corbett will lead you through a series of meditations, writing and drawing exercises designed to release creativity and engage the imagination in order to create new worlds in image and text. You will walk through imaginary landscapes, map a journey and work with fragments […]
Poetry Society takes on the Free Verse Fair
The Poetry Society is taking on Free Verse, home to the Poetry Book Fair and the Poetry Magazine Fair, and will run the 2018 Free Verse Fair on Saturday 22 September at Senate House, University of London. Free Verse is a market that celebrates the vitality of contemporary poetry publishing in the UK, showcasing a wide […]
You Are An Ocean Poetry Workshop
Maximise your looking at Poetry Cafe exhibition You are an ocean and I am a living thing with a writing workshop. Thom Kofoed’s exhibition explores how women have taken a radical approach to language, storytelling and poetic expression through music, visual art, comedy, writing and dance, and the workshop will celebrate female poets from all artistic disciplines. With […]
Jay Bernard wins the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry for Surge: Side A
Ted Hughes Award judges Gillian Allnutt, Lemn Sissay and Sally Beamish have chosen Jay Bernard’s 2017 performance piece Surge: Side A (Speaking Volumes), as the latest winner of The Poetry Society’s prestigious prize. The winner of the 2017 award was announced on 28 March 2018, at a reception at the Savile Club, London, where Carol Ann […]
Dom Bury wins National Poetry Competition for his poem ‘The Opened Field’
Judges Hannah Lowe, Andrew McMillan and Pascale Petit praise the winning poem’s “mnemonic force” and describe it as a “neutron star of a poem compressed inside the restraining machinery of a sestina” Out of more than 13,000 poems entered for this year’s award, Dom Bury’s poem ‘The Opened Field’ has been chosen as the winner […]
In Town Tonight: Kaveh Akbar, Rachel Long & Holly Singlehurst
In Town Tonight – The Poetry Society’s open invitation to visiting overseas poets to read at our venue in the heart of London, The Poetry Café. We are very proud to present a headline reading from Iranian-American poet and scholar Kaveh Akbar, in his very first European visit. Last year, his debut full-length collection, Calling a Wolf […]
Anecdotal Evidence: an evening with Wendy Cope
Hear Wendy Cope read poems from Anecdotal Evidence, her first collection of new poetry since 2011’s acclaimed Family Values, at this special Faber Members event, in association with The Poetry Society. In this new collection, Wendy Cope celebrates ‘the half-forgotten stories of our lives’ with compassion, wisdom and wit. She continues to be the most generous of authors, […]
The Poetry Review Winter Launch
Join us at a celebration of the Winter issue of The Poetry Review in The Poetry Café. Our readers will be contributors Ian Humphreys, Holly Pester, Mark Waldron and, in an exclusive filmed reading, Hisham Bustani introduced by Review Editor Emily Berry. About the readers Ian Humphreys won the Hamish Canham Prize 2016 and is […]
Exhibition Launch: Headbooks!
11 December 2017 to 3 February 2018 Sidekick Books presents Headbooks!, a winter exhibition of visual poems from the first two titles in the wildly experimental Headbooks series. Each book is an interactive, collaborative compendium combining the aesthetics of guidebook, catalogue and poetry anthology, melding the factual with the fantastical, the lyrical with the visual, […]
Poetry Book Society Winter Launch
The Poetry Society is delighted to join forces with the Poetry Book Society to celebrate the PBS Winter Selections. Join us to launch a special edition of the PBS Winter 2017 Bulletin with a stellar performance from five internationally acclaimed poets: PBS Choice Sasha Dugdale, PBS Recommendations Paul Deaton, Tim Dooley, Ahren Warner and PBS […]
The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree lighting up ceremony
Thursday 7 December 2017, 5:45 pm – 7:30 pm It’s that time of year again! In one of London’s favourite traditions, The Poetry Society and the Royal Norwegian Embassy are once more encircling the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree in poetry, to celebrate the City of Oslo’s annual gift to London with generous support from The Northbank and Fox Rodney. (Find out more about the […]
I am not what I asked for: Jorie Graham at Keats House with Sarah Howe
The Poetry Society is delighted to host a special event in collaboration with Carcanet Press with Pulitzer-Prize winning American poet Jorie Graham. Jorie will read from her work (including her latest collection Fast), discuss her work in conversation with T.S.Eliot prize-winning poet Sarah Howe, and sign books afterwards. Jorie Graham Jorie Graham was born in […]
80,000 Gallons to a Lock: a Canal Laureate reading with Luke Kennard
(picture: Billie Charity-Prescott for Canal & River Trust) Luke Kennard’s Canal Laureate poems are full of bargeman’s songs, industrial history, towpath gadflies and watery dazzle. His time as Laureate is nearly done, so now’s the time to join him with a celebratory journey’s end reading. ‘In the roar of 80,000 gallons to a lock / […]