Poet laureate hails government confirmation of £5m for National Poetry Centre in Leeds
The confirmation of £5 million of government investment in the National Poetry Centre in Leeds has been welcomed by the poet laureate Simon Armitage as evidence that his brainchild “will become a reality”.
The £20 million project will transform Trinity St David’s church on Woodhouse Lane, pictured, into the UK’s first dedicated national cultural centre for poetry. Plans include a 250-seat perfo...
18th February 2025
Simon Armitage returns to Marsden on latest leg of libraries tour
The poet laureate, Simon Armitage, is lining up the next leg of his 10-year tour of the UK’s libraries. Each spring this decade, Armitage is giving readings in libraries across the UK and his journey is planned using the alphabet.
The next stage of his tour will be held from 3 to 11 March 2025, ...
18th February 2025
‘We’ll be back …’: closing words of compere at Words on the Wall ‘finale’
All good things must come to an end – or at least, a pause, in the case of Hexham’s very popular poetry event Words on the Wall. There was an impressive turnout for what masterly compere Joe Williams ...
17th February 2025
Two multilingual poets to help celebrate International Mother Language Day in Manchester
Manchester is celebrating International Mother Language Day 2025 with two newly appointed Multilingual City Poets, Charlotte Shevchenko Knight and Nóra Blascsók.
Charlotte Shevchenko Knight is a po...
16th February 2025
Young Write Out Loud is out and about: join us at Slaithwaite’s Moonraking festival!
An important part of Write Out Loud’s 20th anniversary year is expanding our work with children and young people. And what better way to start than by linking up again with poet and performer Louise F...
12th February 2025
Meet Neil Astley, celebrated Bloodaxe editor - and our competition judge
Bloodaxe … what an arresting name for a poetry publisher. I may have first come across Neil Astley’s name when my wife gave me the second anthology in the Bloodaxe Staying Alive series, Being Alive, a...
10th February 2025
Authors’ body tries to mobilise writers over AI copyright
Growing concerns over the development of artificial intelligence has compelled the ALCS (Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Authority) - which recovers money for authors that they are due – to issue ad...
10th February 2025
WRITE OUT LOUD'S BIG ANNIVERSARY POETRY COMPETITION 'ECHOES' IS OPEN FOR ENTRIES!
Write Out Loud’s 2025 poetry competition – to mark this website’s 20th anniversary – is open for entries! The judge is celebrated Bloodaxe Books editor and anthologist, Neil Astley, pictured, and the ...
10th February 2025
Faber to publish 'definitive' edition of Seamus Heaney's poetry
Faber is to publish The Poems of Seamus Heaney later this year, edited by Rosie Lavan and Bernard O’Donoghue with Matthew Hollis. It’s described as the definitive edition of Heaney’s poetry, featurin...
8th February 2025
Poetry magazine 14 announces £2,000 appeal success
A poetry magazine that is published once a year has reached its £2,000 target after just seven days of a cash appeal to keep it going. Poet and novelist Richard Skinner said 14 Magazine, which publish...
7th February 2025
Helen Mort to judge £1,000 Rialto Nature and Place competition
Helen Mort will be judging the 2025 Rialto Nature and Place poetry competition. First prize is £1,000, and the deadline is 1 April 2025. More details
2nd February 2025
Rory Waterman to judge £600 Ver Poets competition
Rory Waterman will be judging the £600 Ver Poets competition. The deadline is 30 April. More details
2nd February 2025
Dancing in the street? You might be if you win this Motown poetry competition
Clevedon LitFest is now open for submissions for its Motorcitysixty poetry competition, which marks the 60th anniversary of the first Motown Revue tour outside the US in 1965.
Entrants worldwide, a...
2nd February 2025
Dominic Berry at Write Out Loud Bolton tonight
Award-winning poet Dominic Berry is the guest at Write Out Loud Bolton open-mic night at Bolton Socialist Club on Sunday 2 February. Dominic, who has twice won the Saboteur award for performance poets...
2nd February 2025
What does the word ‘Echoes’ say to you? Countdown to Write Out Loud’s poetry competition to mark our 20-year anniversary
In a few days’ time Write Out Loud will be launching a big poetry competition to mark our 20th anniversary year. We’re very excited about it! The theme of the competition will be ‘Echoes’ – and it wil...
1st February 2025
Tribute show to remember Jackie Hagan in Manchester tonight
Friends of Jackie Hagan are re-staging Magic Animals, a poetry session she used to host, in a one-off tribute show on 1 February at Manchester’s Contact theatre.
Jackie, a multi-award-winning poet,...
1st February 2025
