Sixty poets, each reading for eight minutes, will be taking part in the Poetry Society’s Poem-A-Thon fundraiser on Saturday 18 May at the Poetry Café in Covent Garden from noon to 10pm. Entry is by donation, and all money raised goes to maintain the development and upkeep of the Poetry Society’s premises in Covent Garden and to support its mission generally, including its education and talent development programmes, and publishing the quarterly Poetry Review.

The Poem-a-Thon is aimed at raising £5,000. You can sponsor a poet on the Poetry Society’s JustGiving page. One of the poets taking part is Write Out Loud’s Greg Freeman, who said: “The Poetry Café is very much at the heart of UK poetry events, a port of call for those visiting London, as well as those who live closer by. I’m glad to take part in something that supports it. It promises to be a hectic and tremendous occasion.”