New laureate tops festival bill
The first female poet laureate will be among those performing at Southwell Library Poetry Festival.
Carol Ann Duffy, who was made poet laureate earlier this year, will perform a reading at the library on Friday, July 10.
The poet laureate is officially appointed by the Government to compose poems for events and occasions.
Mrs Nicola Ellis, the senior library assistant, said Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry reading would be among the highlights of the festival.
She said: “It’s a real coup to get her. We are really excited by it.
“We have only just started advertising for the event but it has generated quite a lot of interest already.
“I hope we get a lot people along because she is very good and very contemporary. Her poetry is about what is happening now.”
The poet laureate’s appearance is one of many events lined-up for the festival.
Mrs Ellis said: “We have got a good range of activities and poets coming along this year so hopefully there will be something to interest people of different ages and different tastes.”
It is the second year that the festival has been run by Southwell Library.
Mrs Ellis said: “The town stopped having the Southwell Poetry Festival so last year as part of the National Year of Reading we decided to hold the festival just as the library.
“Poetry is a really good way to appreciate the spoken word, especially when it is read by the people who have written it. Hearing it really brings it to life much better than studying it in a classroom.”
Tickets to Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry reading, which begins at 7.30pm, cost £10, £8 for concessions, and £4 for under 19s.
On July 11 at 7.30pm there will be readings by American poet Frank Reeve and a performance by jazz musicians.
On July 13 at 10.30am there will be a talk on the work of poets Chaucer, Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Poetry readings with music from the Newark and Sherwood Concert Band will take place at the library on July 14 at 7.30pm.
A rhythm, rattle and roll session for toddlers is planned for July 16 at 10.30am. Entry is free.
At 2pm there will be a recital of love poetry, followed at 7.30pm by a Desert Island Poems session with the Dean of Southwell Minster, the Very Rev John Guille.
The collection of poetry, Birthday Letters, by Ted Hughes, will be the subject for discussion on July 17 at 2pm.
On July 18 at 10.30am people are invited to bring their favourite travel poems to read.
A session about the work of Carol Ann Duffy will take place at 1pm followed at 2.30pm by a poetry discussion about The Seven Ages of Man and Woman, and at 7.30pm there will be poetry readings by Jean Breeze, known as Binta, and Kevin Fegan.
On July 19 at 2.30pm and 3.15pm there will be rhythm and rhyme workshops for families, and at 7pm is a talk about the Southwell childhood of the poet Lord Byron.
Some events are free and tickets for others cost between £2 and £10.
Tickets are available from Southwell Library or The Bookcase, Lowdham.
