An interview with and a reading by American poet Sharon Olds, who won last year’s TS Eliot prize with her collection Stag’s Leap, will be one of the highlights of this year’s Ledbury poetry festival, one of the big events on the poetry calendar, from 4-13 July. There will also be two shows of And You, Helen, a 12-part meditation on love and grief by poet Derys Rees-Jones and artists Charlotte Hodes in memory of Helen Thomas, the wife of Edward Thomas. One of them is already sold out. Other attractions include Clare Short’s Desert Island Poems, Juliet Stevenson reading Elizabeth Bishop, Poems of the Malvern Hills, the National Poetry Competition winners, and Maggie Sawkins’ Zones of  Avoidance, winner of this year’s Ted Hughes award. Poetry’s other big names at the festival include Forward and Costa winner Michael Symmons Roberts, Carrie Etter, Ruth Fainlight, Elaine Feinstein, Michael Schmidt, Richie McCaffery, Robin Robertson, Lavinia Greenlaw, Mimi Khalvati, Ian McMillan, Glyn Maxwell, and Bernard O’Donoghue. More details 

 

JULY

Stratford-upon-Avon poetry festival, 2 July - 3 August  

Ledbury poetry festival, 4-13 July

Wirral Festival of Firsts,  5-13 July

Buxton festival fringe, 9-27 July 

John Clare Society festival, Helpston, near Peterborough, 11-13 July 

Latitude festival, Southwold, 17-20 July

 

AUGUST

Stratford-upon-Avon poetry festival, until 3 August 

Edinburgh festival fringe, 1-25 August 

 

SEPTEMBER

Winchester poetry festival, 12-14 September

King's Lynn poetry festival, 26-28 September

 

OCTOBER

Swindon poetry festival, 2-5 October