This coming weekend sees two big poetry festivals at Cheltenham and Bristol. 

18-22 April: TV presenter and poet Owen Sheers, hip-hop star Dizraeli, Penelope Shuttle, slam-champs Ash Dickinson and Jack Dean, the animation and poetry show Under Stokes Croft, poets from Worcester Literary Festival, a four-team slam, prize-winning poet Cliff Yates, Helen Mort,  ‘The Brewery Bard’ Barnaby Eaton-Jones, Alison Brackenbury and many others are booked for Cheltenham poetry  festival, which is celebrating its second year with 95 performers over five days.

18-21 April Paul Durcan leads the line-up at the Bristol Spring Poetry Festival, from 18-21 April. Other big names include Carol Rumens, Sasha Dugdale, Pameli Benham, Matt Harvey, Lucy English, Rob Gee, Chris Redmond, Ben Mellor, the Next Generation Poetry Slam hosted by Tim Gibbard, plus home-grown features and open mic events. More details