What they say:

"The Ledbury Poetry Festival has real claims to be the best of its kind in England. Without compromise or flashiness, it provides a rare and genuine joining of place, poetry and people."
Carol Ann Duffy

“The programming is skilful and highly adventurous ... I have seldom come across a poetry audience with such attentiveness, warmth and intelligence.”
David Morley

Ledbury Poetry Festival offers ten days each summer when the air is thick with declaration and rumination, whispers and shouts of joy.”
Joan Bakewell

 

About the festival

The Ledbury Poetry Festival takes place over ten days each July. We are the biggest and best poetry festival in the UK, featuring poets from all over the world. If you think you know what poetry is, come along and we’ll surprise you. There are live readings, performances, workshops, open mics, music, exhibitions, films, family events, street events, a slam and much more. This is our fifteenth year - join us for a celebration of poetry in the rural heartland of England.

“The Ledbury Poetry Festival is the best in the country.”
Andrew Motion

 

Street/Free Events

 

Poetry In Motion – Keep an eye out for our signs dotted around the town where you can download poems with your smart phone while you're on the go.  Each sign will deliver poems on a theme, adding new ones over the festival.  Also look out for the ‘poetry turntable’ – a table which reacts to the people around it, screening poems and interactive content. Poetry in Motion is brought to you with Poetry in Motion is brought to you with Magma
Check into http://magmapoetry.com/poetry-in-motion for more information.

 

Sally Crabtree is out on the streets of Ledbury with her own brand of poetic installations. Keep an eye out for the lady with the pink hair. (Anything is possible...)

 

Alison Brumfitt, peripatetic performance poet with a penchant for caravans will be doing performance poems from her Micro Pod caravan venue and also engaging young people in exploring their dreams with drawing and writing.

 

Poetry Competition
Each year we organise a prestigious competition for new poetry which attracts entries from all over the globe. Our poet in residence judges the Competition and there are three categories: Adult, Young Person and Child. The top three in each category are published on our website and the adult winner is given a reading at the festival.

Support
The Festival thanks all the people and institutions who provide support, especially the Arts Council of England, local authorities, foundations and charitable trusts. The Ledbury Poetry Festival is firmly built on the voluntary support and freely given time of the many local businesses and residents who help make the Festival such a success. For a full list please see our sponsors and credits page.

 

2011 Festival highlights...

          Thomas Möhlmann

               Jackie Kay

         Jacqueline Saphra

              Sally Crabtree

Katrina Porteous c. Derek Adams