Aberystwyth Poetry Festival 2024
Saturday 4th May - Monday 6th May 2024
In 2023 The Bookshop by the Sea launched the Aberystwyth Poetry Festival, and it was such a success we’re returning in 2024!
Save The Date:
Sat 4th May - Mon 6th May 2024
We can't wait to welcome you to the incredible events we have planned for this year.
Expect workshops, discussion, readings, music, signings as well as all our award-winning poets.
We are especially looking forward to:
Our headline event at The National Library on Saturday, a chance to hear world-class poets perform.
Sunday evening where our poetry showcase has live music, spoken word and opportunities to perform your own poetry.
A creative day of inspiring workshops on Monday including a special panel on Welsh in translation.
Throughout the festival there will be literary teas and connections to be made in The Bookshop by the Sea!
All held here in Aberystwyth, our beautiful town by the sea.
See our FULL PROGRAMME poet line-up below
PLEASE CHECK THE ABERYSTWYTHPOETRYFESTIVAL.CO.UK
We will release the official programme a week beforehand with all timings and venues.
Most people like to attend as much as possible to engage with the themes and conversations that develop throughout the weekend.
Join us for an amazing weekend celebration of all things poetical!
In 2023 we hosted local, international and prize-winning talent including Celtic poets from Cumbria, Cornwall and Cymru, and heard some of the most beautiful, heartfelt and boundary-pushing poets live as they read and discussed their work.
Join us to discover what wonderful things we have in store for 2024…
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
The festival features a poetry showcase, readings, interviews, talks, discussions, book signings, a publishing panel, writing workshops and a poetry competition all set in our beautiful Victorian seaside town, home of The National Library of Wales!
WHO IS COMING?
Programmed days annouced below or on the website!
http://www.aberystwythpoetryfestival.co.uk/
If you’re a local poet or run a group we’d love to hear from you! If you’re interested in being a part of the Poetry Festival in 2025 then please email us at aberystwythpoetryfestival@gmail.com - we are interested in both English and Welsh language poets so do drop us a note if you’re keen!
WHERE WILL IT BE?
Held across Aberystwyth, celebrating poets and poetry with a focus on sustainability, diversity, showcasing women poets and making poetry accessible to the wider community.
Working in partnership with Prifysgol Aberystwyth University, Wales Literature Exchange/Cyfnewidfa Lên Cymru, Literature Across Frontiers/Llenyddiaeth Ar Draws Ffiniau, The Books Council of Wales/Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru, Llyfrgell Ceredigion Library, Ceredigion Museum/Amgueddfa Ceredigion, Literature Wales/Llenyddiaeth Cymru and The National Library of Wales/Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, this festival is a coming together of a community of voices who are engaged with the impact of the written word. And we would love you to join us!
HOW DO I ATTEND?
TIKCETS ON SALE NOW!
Sign up to our mailing list to hear when our special early bird weekend tickets are released, giving you access to all the poetry festival events over the weekend. It is not compulsory to attend everything but we would love to have you come and hear as many amazing poets as you can! There will also be so many conversations over cups of herbal tea and pastries in the bookshop between events we are sure that you will feel truly connected.
Follow us on our insta, facebook and twitter, for more info and to enter our poetry competition!
VOLUNTEER WITH US:
To get involved - we are looking for poetry-loving volunteer stewards to help out over the weekend itself, greeting guests, helping with setting up and refreshments and undertaking other generally helpful tasks in return for entry to events.
LOCAL POETS:
Local poets! We are hoping this festival will grow into a yearly event so please introduce yourselves, if you would like to take part in our Poetry Showcase please enter our competition and the winners will be selected to perform! We can’t wait to meet you!
In 2023 we launched the Aberystwyth Poetry Festival, with a line up including: Mathew Francis - Faber and Faber, Karen McCarthy Woolf - Carcanet and Bloodaxe Books, Kim Moore - Seren, Zoe Brigley - Seren, Rhian Edwards - Seren, Richard Marggraf Turley - Salt press, Cinnamon Press, Parthian, Routledge, Macmillan, Mari Ellis Dunning - Parthian, Gavin Goodwin - Cinnamon Press, Nerys Williams - Seren, and Riona Millar - New Poet from Aberystwyth Uni… and our lovely local community!
Held across Aberystwyth, celebrating poets and poetry with a focus on sustainability, diversity, showcasing women poets and making poetry accessible to the wider community. We worked in partnership with Prifysgol Aberystwyth University, The Books Council of Wales/Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru, Llyfrgell Ceredigion Library, Ceredigion Museum/Amgueddfa Ceredigion and The National Library of Wales/Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, to make this festival a coming together of a community of voices who are engaged with the impact of the written word.
The festival featured a poetry showcase, readings, interviews, talks, discussions, book signings, a publishing panel, writing workshops and a poetry competition all set in our beautiful Victorian seaside town, home of The National Library of Wales! And we’re looking forward to returning, just as vibrantly, in 2024!