International, on-line, in person and for EVERYONE
This year’s theme is – Identity
On 21 February at 7pm, we launch the twelfth Cheltenham Poetry Festival with a reading by two exciting contemporary poets – Rachel Long and Kitty Donnelly. The event also includes an open mic.
The event kicks off an international programme, our biggest yet, which includes 10 months of readings, workshops and outreach events. These include four readings per month held on zoom plus an in-person festival in September. This will feature Gloucestershire-based internationally acclaimed poets and events focusing on ‘The Gloucestershire School’, defined, for the first time by writer and academic Fiona Sampson.
This year we feature approx. 100 international names including – Lisa Kelly, Rachel Long, Abeer Ameer, Sean Borodale, Chelsea Dingham, Matt Merritt, Sarah Wimbush, Roger Robinson, Jo Clement, Elizabeth Sennett Clough, Sarah Westcott, Stanley Iyanu and Nora Nadjarian. Showcases from publishers including as Seren, Parthian, Festival Friends Indigo Dreams, alongside writers from Gloucestershire- Adam Horovitz, Angela France, Belinda Rimmer and many more.
Throughout the year we will also be offering workshops to our festival audiences and to organisations in the community who work with vulnerable adults and young people. Outreach activities include: Developing Creative Confidence at St Peter’s/Paul Centre, workshops in Visual Vernacular – a sign language with tutors from Deaf Explorer UK plus workshops to students at the National Star Centre and to adults with disabilities within the Festival networks.
We hope you will find something to inspire and delight in our feast of poetry, offered to you online, in your homes and this autumn – in-person, within the beautiful regency town of Cheltenham.
We will be revealing more names over the coming weeks. Please join our mailing list at cheltpoetryfest@gmail.com so we can keep you in the loop!
Cheltenham Poetry Festival thanks Arts Council England for their continued support, and our headline sponsors Jordans Solicitors as well as Oldham Foundation, The University of Gloucestershire and our life patrons Annie Ellis and Lucy Heuschen.