A workshop series for experimental poetry, open to all.
Innovative Poetry Readings in London
Writers Forum Workshop is pleased to host this listing of readings, exhibitions, performances, discussions, workshops and courses taking place on London’s innovative poetry scenes.
If you write innovative poetry and would like to share it with an interested audience, please consider attending Writers Forum Workshop’s London or virtual meetings.
See the bottom of the page for an FAQ, including how to get your own event listed here.
Key for colour coding:
Blue: In-person event.
Pink: Online event featuring London-based poets or organisations.
Green: In-person event in London, with simultaneous online broadcast.
Galerie Max Hetzler, 41 Dover Street, Mayfair W1S 4NS.
Free, no booking required.
Until Fri 1 May, Tue – Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 11am-5pm. Closed Thu 2 – Tue 7 April inclusive.
Conspiracies: Group art exhibition on the role of conspiracies in contemporary culture. Featuring poet-artist Caspar Heinemann, plus Hannah Black, Sam Keogh and Shenece Oretha.
Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, Bloomsbury WC1H 0AB.
Free, no booking required.
Until Sun 10 January, Tue 12pm-6pm, Wed-Sun 12pm-8pm.
Poetry Buildings: Exhibition by visual poets and artists exploring the relationship between poetry and buildings.
National Poetry Library, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham BR3 3BX.
Free, booking required.
2pm.
Indie Press Network Poetry Salon: Four independent poetry publishers present their recent books. Featuring works by AJ Akoto (Arachne Press), Ruth Irwin (Renard Press), Gabriel Moreno (Goat Star Books) and Nathan Evans (Inkandescent).
Keats House, 10 Keats Grove, Hampstead NW3 2RR.
£10/£6, bookable.
2pm.
RuptureXIBIT Writing Workshop: Anna Johnson leads a workshop about drawing on experience and memory in writing, inspired by authors like poet Seán Hewitt and novelist Szilvia Molnar.
RuptureXIBIT, 55 High Street, Hampton Wick KT1 4DG.
£5, booking required.
Doors 2.30pm, event 3pm.
For Lesya’s Birthday: Ukrainian singer Tetiana Tsikhotska performs settings of poems by Lesia Ukrainka and Olena Pchilka, and folk songs recorded by Ukrainka. Plus a photo exhibition.
Association of Ukrainian Women, 154 Holland Park Avenue, Holland Park W11 4UH.
BLKNWS – A Conversation on Black World-Making: Panel discussion on Black world-making in response to Kahlil Joseph’s film BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, plus an improvised jazz-poetry performance by Black Geographies, and DJing by Daniel Oduntan.
Reference Point, 2 Arundel Street, Temple WC2R 3DA.
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E1 6LA.
£10, bookable.
Sun 22 March
10am.
Colour and Poetry: Interdisciplinary symposium on the relationship between poetry and colour, featuring presentations, readings, performances, practical workshops, and an exhibition. Contributors include Alexandra Loske, Edward Winters, Vaishali Prazmari, Caroline de Lannoy, Donal Maloney, Maya Silverberg, Jenny Ihn, George Szirtes, Aurora Headlam Brown, Holly Hendry, Sean Borodale, Stephanie Nebbia, Sharon Morris, Rania Schoretsaniti, Vincent Hart, Indiana Farrell, Mataio Austin Dean, Stella Kajombo, Colart chemist, Yannis Ziogas, Elizabeth Mead, Dorothea Lasky, Brece Honeycutt and Ruth Siddall.
University College London, rooms and building TBC. Also available as an online livestream, bookable here.
The Common Press, 118 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E2 6DG.
Pay what you can (£7.50 with a copy of Lovelace-Hanson’s pamphlet), bookable.
7pm-9pm.
Seeing and Doing: Patrick Benson leads a multidisciplinary writing workshop responding to the poetry of Emily Dickinson.
Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town NW5 2RX.
Free, booking required.
Tuesday 24 March
6pm.
Wild Court Reading Series: Stephen Watts reads his poetry, and discusses his work with poet Anthony Joseph.
The Pyramid Room (Room K4U.04), Level 4, King’s Building, Strand Campus, King’s College London, The Strand, Temple WC2R 2LS.
Free, bookable.
7pm.
Poetry @ Review: Hal Coarse reads to launch his poetry collection Eccolo. Plus more poetry with Phoebe Eccles and Lavinia Singer.
Review, 131 Bellenden Road, Peckham SE15 4QY.
£5 (redeemable against a copy of Coarse’s book), bookable.
7pm.
Jerusalem 0 – 0 Athens: Jennifer Nelson & Caspar Heinemann in Conversation: Poet-artist Caspar Heinemann performs a poetic interpretation of their artworks in the venue’s group exhibition. Plus a talk by poet Jennifer Nelson, entitled ‘Neither Athens Nor Alexandria: The Failed Reconquering of Aby Warburg’.
Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, Bloomsbury WC1H 0AB.
Free, booking required.
Doors 7pm, event 7.30pm.
Iran +100: Stories from a Century after the Coup: Discussion to launch Iran +100, an anthology imagining Iran in the year 2053, 100 years after the coup against democratically-elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. With poet Alireza Abiz, fiction writer Navid Hamzavi and editor Leila Elder.
Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, Waterlow Park, Highgate N6 5HG.
£12/£10, bookable.
Wednesday 25 March
7pm.
Some of Our Sins: Readings of poetry and prose on the theme of envy, featuring the Re-Enchantment Collective.
Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town NW5 2RX.
£10, bookable.
7.30pm.
brights: Performances of queer music, featuring poet Kobi / Ocean Ayensuo, plus musicians Bliss Carmxn and Joe Bligh.
Launch: Before Violence by Joe Carrick-Varty: Joe Carrick-Varty reads to launch his poetry collection Before Violence. Plus more poetry from Raymond Antrobus and Kandace Siobhan Walker.
An Evening of British Latinx Poetry: Readings and discussion to launch an issue of Wasafiri magazine focusing on British Latinx poetry, featuring Leo Boix, Patrizia Longhitano, José Buera and Luisa de la Concha Montes.
Instituto Cervantes, 15-19 Devereux Court, Temple WC2R 3JJ.
Free, bookable.
6.45pm.
Poetry in the Library: Fathima Zahra and Jack Underwood read and discuss their poetry.
How the Voice Moves: A Poetry & Dance Improv Workshop: Poet Robin Vaughan-Williams and choreographer Pepa Ubera lead a workshop using improvisation techniques to reconnect bodies and voices in creative, collaborative ways.
Omnibus Theatre, 1 Clapham Common Northside, Clapham SW4 0QW.
£20/£17, booking required.
7pm-9pm.
Walking Tour – Literary Soho: Alan Fortune leads a walking tour about writers in Soho, including poets like Dylan Thomas and Arthur Rimbaud.
Brahms and His Poets: Performances of Johannes Brahms’ settings of German poems, plus readings of new poems written in response. Featuring Ellen Cranitch, Philly Desai and more.
City Lit, 1-10 Keeley Street, Covent Garden WC2B 4BA.
The Common Press, 118 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E2 6DG.
Pay what you can (£9.99 with a copy of Kamalakanthan’s book), bookable.
Friday 27 March
10am-5pm.
Disabled Legacies: Beyond Access and Inclusion: Day One: Conference on how Disability Art and Culture can go beyond “access” and “inclusion”. This day includes presentations by poets Cat Chong, Naomi Ortiz and Saleem Hue Penny.
The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, Bloomsbury WC1B 3JA. Also livestreamed online.
Free, booking required.
7pm.
Molly, Etc. from Dublin to London: Scott Elder reads to launch his poetry collection Molly, Etc. Plus more poetry from Prue Chamberlayne, Michael Lee Rattigan and Michael Shann.
The Poetry Café, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden WC2H 9BX.
Free, booking required.
7.30pm-8.30pm.
Haiku Evening + Workshop: Mike Lewington presents a reading and workshop exploring haiku poetry.
The Common Press, 118 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E2 6DG.
Online for the London Arts-Based Research Centre. Also available as an in-person event in Cambridge.
£195.72 in person, £109.05 online, booking required.
10am-4.30pm.
Disabled Legacies: Beyond Access and Inclusion: Day Two: Conference on how Disability Art and Culture can go beyond “access” and “inclusion”. This day includes a paper by poet Khairani Barokka and a film screening by poet Jameisha Prescod.
The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, Bloomsbury WC1B 3JA. Also livestreamed online.
Free, booking required.
10am-11.30am.
Lewisham Writers’ Link Up: Tutku Barbaros leads a networking event for Lewisham-based writers, with a workshop on creating a collaborative poem about the borough.
Writing Chimeras: Kandace Siobhan Walker leads a workshop on blending collaboration, creative research and mixed-media art practices to create hybrid poems drawn from unexpected sources.
CRIPtic x London Writers Centre Salon: Salon for D/deaf and disabled writers. Poet Jamie Hale leads a workshop on creative exercises towards a sustainable practice for disabled writers. Followed by a reading by writer Abi Palmer, and an open mic.
Online for Deptford Literature Festival.
Free, booking required.
7pm.
Housmans Poetry Series: Jazmine Linklater reads to launch the long poem Snagged on red thread. Plus more poetry from Fran Lock, Sascha Aurora Akhtar, Al Anderson, Harriet Rose and JD Howse.
Housmans, 5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross N1 9DX.
Free, bookable.
7pm.
Queer Writing and Open Mic Night: Readings by queer writers, featuring poets Gayathiri, Tash Walker and SL Grange, novelist Avery Curran, performance writer Martin O’Brien, historian Adam Zmith and more, plus an open mic.
Triangle LGBTQ+ Cultural Centre, 34 Watson’s Street, Deptford SE8 4AU.
Hundred Years Gallery, 13 Pearson Street, Hoxton E2 8JD.
Presumably free, no booking required.
Sunday 29 March
12pm.
Young Barbican Takeover Festival: A day of music, workshops, performances and stalls with emerging artists, including readings by the Barbican Young Poets.
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, City of London EC2Y 8DS.
Watermen’s Hall, 16-18 Saint Mary at Hill, City of London EC3R 8EF.
£6.13, booking required.
Tuesday 31 March
Doors 5.45pm, event 6pm.
Trans Music Takeover: Performances to celebrate Trans Day of Visibility, featuring poet Chloe Filani, artist The Mollusc Dimension, musicians Christopher Clarke and Sans Soucis, songwriter Kumari Suraj, and DJing by Timon.
Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Silk Street, City of London EC2Y 8DT.
Free, booking required.
7pm.
Broken Sleep Poetry: Jill Abram, Christopher Horton, Mary Mulholland and Natalie Whittaker read from their poetry publications from Broken Sleep Books.
Chener Books, 14 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich SE22 8HN.
Hibernation – Poetry Book Launch & Reading: Jamie Valentine reads to launch their poetry collection Hibernation. Plus more poetry from Rhia Dolby, Gemma Pearce, Tara Alexandra Anistasia, Rosie Hart, Emma Hain and Bella Gervais.
Jam in a Jar, 599-601 Green Lanes, Harringay N8 0RE.
£11.95 (includes a copy of Valentine’s e-book), bookable.
Wednesday 8 April
2pm.
Temple of Ideas Afternoon Salon: Paul Taylor, the ‘Trombone Poet’ gives a performance and leads a workshop inspired by the OuLiPo group, exploring playful alternatives to haiku. Plus an open mic.
Old Diorama Arts Centre, 201 Drummond Street, Euston NW1 3FE.
Free, bookable.
6.30pm.
An Alternative Xanadu: London Launch Party: Tallulah Howarth reads to launch An Alternative Xanadu, a poetry pamphlet about the Xanadu Housing Co-operative. With more poetry from Kayleigh Jayshree and Helen Bowell, and DJs including the Stewart Brothers.
Mascara Bar, 72 Stamford Hill, Stamford Hill N16 6XS.
The Hill Station Cafe, Kitto Road, Nunhead SE14 5TW.
£10, booking.
Friday 10 April
7pm.
Some of Our Sins: Readings of poetry and prose on the theme of lust, featuring Robin Craig, Tobi Coventry, Will Hunter, Imani Thompson, Lauren J Joseph and Gayathiri Kamalakanthan.
Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town NW5 2RX.
£10, bookable.
Saturday 11 April
11am-5pm.
The Indie Press Fair: Stalls selling publications from independent publishers, plus a programme of readings and panels about fiction and publishing.
Islington Central Library, 2 Fieldway Crescent, Islington N5 1PF.
Free, bookable. Booking required for the panels.
1pm-3pm.
Shaded Writers Workshop: Poet PJ Samuels leads a workshop for writers from QTIBPOC (Queer, Trans, Intersex, Black, People of Colour) communities.
Clapton Library, Northwold Road, Clapton E5 8RA. Also available as an online workshop, bookable here.
Free, booking required.
5pm-6.30pm.
Paper Cuts and Poetry: Poet Susanna Galbraith and poet-artist Sophie Herxheimer host an interdisciplinary salon on the relationship between poetry, mythology and art.
The Feminist Library, 161 Sumner Road, Peckham SE15 6JL.
Sunley Pavilion, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
From £27.50 plus £3.50 booking fee, booking required.
3pm.
Ethical Matters: How to Think Like a Poet: Poet Dai George discusses how poets like Sappho, Rumi and Frank O’Hara can help readers to understand justice, dreams or anger.
Conway Hall, 5 Red Lion Square, Bloomsbury WC1R 4RL. Also livestreamed online.
Advance £12/£9/£8, on the door £13/£10/£9, online £9, booking required.
Tuesday 14 April
7pm.
So Mayer & Sarah Schulman: Poet So Mayer and writer Sarah Schulman discuss their new non-fiction books about the power structures underpinning everyday language.
London Review Bookshop, 14 Bury Place, Bloomsbury WC1A 2JL.
£10, bookable.
7.30pm.
Shearsman Reading: Matt Haw, Will Stone and another poet TBC read to launch new poetry publications from Shearsman Books.
Wed 15 – Sun 19 April, Wed-Sat 12pm-7pm, Sun 12pm-5pm. Opening drinks on Wed 15 April, 4.30pm-7pm.
Expanded Realities Exhibition: Exhibition of multimedia art projects featuring virtual reality, audio, installations and video games. Includes Constantinopoliad, Sister Sylvester and Nadah El Shazly’s exploration of Greek Alexandrian poet CP Cavafy. Plus works by Alice Bucknell, Shadé Joseph, Kris Hofmann, and UCL students.
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E1 6LA.
Free; booking required for timed slots for Constantinopoliad, no booking required otherwise.
7pm.
Some of Our Sins: Readings of poetry and prose on the theme of gluttony, featuring Rochelle Dowden-Lord, Lu Rose Cunningham, Jess Cole and Oliver Zarandi.
Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town NW5 2RX.
Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
From £15 plus £3.50 booking fee, bookable.
Thursday 16 April
5pm.
The Essay Film in Three Dimensions: Artist and film-maker Sister Sylvester leads an experimental book-making workshop, drawing on her research into poets like Bertolt Brecht and CP Cavafy.
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E1 6LA.
Modern Poetry in Translation – The Antidote to Agony: Readings to launch he new issue of Modern Poetry in Translation magazine, focusing on Greek and Cypriot poetry. Featuring Kostya Tsolakis, Calliope Michail and Brian Sneeden.
Hellenic Centre, 16-18 Paddington Street, Marylebone W1U 5AS.
Write & Shine: City of Dreams: Gemma Seltzer leads a creative writing workshop writing workshop exploring London as a landscape of dreams, inspired by authors like romantic poet William Blake and modernist novelist Virginia Woolf.
Help!: Live Art and Performance Group: Performance art with poet Aaron Williamson, Veronica Cordova de la Rosa, Filippos Tsitsopoulos, Audrey Baldwin, Clare Carswell, Kovacs Isvan, Peta Lloyd and Philip Lee.
Hundred Years Gallery, 13 Pearson Street, Hoxton E2 8JD.
How Languages Make Us: Explorations through Performance: Poetry, talks and songs representing the UK’s diverse languages, featuring performances by poet and storyteller Nomakhwezi Becker, BSL poet Zoë McWhinney, and Welsh singer-songwriter Mared Williams, plus talks by scholars Robert Dunbar, Devyani Sharma and Bencie Woll.
British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, St James’s SW1Y 5AH. Also livestreamed online.
The Roasting Shed 322 Hornsey Road, Finsbury Park N7 7HE.
£5/free, bookable.
Doors 6.30pm, event 7pm.
Moon City: Photographer Mimi Mollica, poet Iain Sinclair and curator Stephen McNeilly discuss the role of the moon in the city and in their creative projects.
The Swedenborg Society, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, Bloomsbury WC1A 2TH.
Pages of Hackney, 70 Lower Clapton Road, Clapton E5 0RN.
£8/£6/£4, bookable.
7.30pm.
Sympoesia: Poets including Joelle Taylor and Anthony Anaxagorou perform with musical accompaniment from the London Sinfonietta.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
From £22 plus £3.50 booking fee, bookable.
May 2026
Friday 1 May
7pm.
Some of Our Sins: Readings of poetry and prose on the theme of wrath, featuring Sean Gilbert, Madeleine Dunnigan, Leo Robson, Harriet Armstrong and Sophie Mackintosh.
Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town NW5 2RX.
£10, bookable.
Saturday 2 May
2.45pm-4.45pm.
Writers Forum Workshop: Workshop for experimental poets to share their writing. All welcome.
Spring Poetry Masterclass: Sophia Blackwell leads a workshop on writing poems of renewal, rebirth and resistance, inspired by poets like Thomas Wyatt and Terrance Hayes.
The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow Street, Crystal Palace SE19 3AF.
Determination & Necessity: Writing Poetic Urgency: Eve Grubin leads a five-session, fortnightly course on creating urgency in poetry, inspired by poets like Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich and Ilya Kaminsky.
Online for the Poetry School.
£135, booking required.
7pm-9pm, then at the same time fortnightly until Wed 1 July.
Poetic Forms for Beginners: Becky Varley-Winter leads a five-session course for beginning poets, on experimenting with poetic forms.
Online for the Poetry School.
£70, booking required.
Wed 6 May – Wed 3 June.
From Miniature to Global: Ecological Imaginaries Studio: Rachel Bower leads a four-week course on exploring microcosms and macrocosms in ecopoetry, inspired by poets like Karen McCarthy Woolf, Jason Allen-Paisant and Zaffar Kunial.
Online for the Poetry School.
£100, booking required.
Thursday 7 May
Thu 7 May – Thu 30 July.
Sonic Language / Poetic Noise Masterclass: Iris Colomb leads a twelve-week masterclass on creating works in which poetry and sound collide, inspired by writers and artists like Nat Raha, Nicola Woodham and Lore Lixenberg.
Queer Circle, Building 4, Design District, 3 Barton Yard, Soames Walk, North Greenwich SE10 0BN.
£3/free, bookable.
Saturday 9 May
1pm-3pm.
Shaded Writers Workshop: Poet PJ Samuels leads a workshop for writers from QTIBPOC (Queer, Trans, Intersex, Black, People of Colour) communities.
Clapton Library, Northwold Road, Clapton E5 8RA. Also available as an online workshop, bookable here.
Free, booking required.
Doors 4pm, event 4.30pm.
Dissidences. Sound, Voice, Word: Poetry and movement with Lucia Sellars, Ivor Kallin and Luisa Amorin, plus music from Titus Barker.
Hundred Years Gallery, 13 Pearson Street, Hoxton E2 8JD.
Free, donations welcome.
Tuesday 12 May
7.15am-9.30pm.
Quiet Power: Write & Shine at LSE Library: Gemma Seltzer leads an early morning workshop on writing poetry and prose inspired by the collections of the Women’s Library. Includes a library tour.
British Library of Political and Economic Science, London School of Economics, 10 Portugal Street, Holborn WC2A 2HD.
Free, booking required.
7.30pm.
Shearsman Reading: Alan Baker and another poet TBC read to launch new poetry publications from Shearsman Books.
Re-Weirding Albion: JLM Morton leads a five-session, fortnightly course on writing poetry rooted in the land and lore of the British Isles, inspired by poets like Penelope Shuttle, Dorothea Smartt and Maggie O’Sullivan.
Poems After Poems: Writing Ars Poetica: Leah Umansky leads a five-session, fortnightly course on writing poetry about writing poetry, inspired by poets like Ocean Vuong, Kim Addonzio and Anne Carson.
Online for the London Arts-Based Research Centre. Also available as an in-person event in Oxford.
£195.72 in person, £109.05 online, booking required.
11am-6.45pm.
European Writers’ Festival: Day One: Two-day festival of readings and discussion featuring writers from around Europe. The focus is on fiction, but today’s speakers include poets Małgorzata Lebda (Poland) and Carolina Pihelgas (Estonia). The festival continues with prose writers and dramatists on the following day.
British Library, 96 Euston Road, Kings Cross NW1 2DB.
In person £20/£10/£8, online £20/£15/£10, booking required.
Introduction to Visual Poetry: Poetics of the Possible: Astra Papachristodoulou leads a five-session, fortnightly course on creating visual poetry, inspired by poets like Mary Ellen Solt, Bob Cobbing and Layli Long Soldier.
Online for the Poetry School.
£135, booking required.
6.30pm.
Weavers of Grass: An Evening of Jazz, Storytelling, and Poetry: Poet Chrys Salt and saxophonist Richard Ingham present a performance about Hebridean crofter Angus MacPhee, who wove clothes out of grass, flowers and leaves while residing at a psychiatric hospital.
Kilburn Library, 42 Salusbury Road, Queen’s Park NW6 6NN.
Pages of Hackney, 70 Lower Clapton Road, Clapton E5 0RN.
£8/£6/£4, bookable.
Saturday 23 May
Doors 2.30pm, event 3pm-7.30pm.
9th Annual Stuart Hall Public Conversation: US poet Fred Moten gives an address about finding common ground in radical activism, in memory of cultural thinker Stuart Hall. Followed by discussion, food and DJing.
Conway Hall, 5 Red Lion Square, Bloomsbury WC1R 4RL. Also livestreamed online.
Making a Speech Studio: Kathryn Simmonds leads a four-week course on integrating speech into poetry, inspired by poets like Langston Hughes, Raymond Antrobus and Kathryn Maris.
Saturday: Association of Jungian Analysts, 27 Delancey Street, Camden Town NW1 7RX; online access also available. Sunday: Online only, for the London Arts-Based Research Centre.
£195.72 in person, £109.05 online, booking required.
Benjamin Zephaniah: A Celebration: Poetry, music and discussion to celebrate the late dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah, featuring Lemn Sissay, Jackie Kay, Michael Rosen and more.
Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
Foyle Pavilion, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
From £27 plus £3.50 booking fee, bookable.
12.30pm.
After Catastrophe: Futures Beyond Crisis: Poets, translators and editors discuss the roles of young writers and translation in addressing crises. Featuring Janani Ambikapathy, Leo Boix, Dominic J Jaeckle and Ghazal Mosadeq.
Level 5 Function Room, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
From £15 plus £3.50 booking fee, bookable.
Sunday 12 July
10am-12pm.
Masterclass: Peter Gizzi: Peter Gizzi leads a workshop exploring the identity of the speaking voice in poetry.
Sunley Pavilion, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
From £27 plus £3.50 booking fee, bookable.
1pm-3pm.
Masterclass: Denise Riley: Denise Riley leads a workshop on using simplicity in poetry, inspired by poets like Gwendolyn Brooks, WS Graham and Warsan Shire.
Foyle Pavilion, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
From £15 plus £3.50 booking fee, bookable.
7.30pm.
Allen Ginsberg at 100: Poetry, music and visuals to celebrate the hundredth birthday of Beat poet Allen Ginsberg.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Waterloo SE1 8XX.
From £15 plus £3.50 booking fee, bookable.
Saturday 18 July
Sat 18 – Sun 19 July, 10am.
Eco-Poetics and Environmental Artivism: Two-day conference on ecopoetics and environmentalism in literature and other artforms. The call for papers is open until Sun 22 March.
Saturday: Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park, Richmond TW10 5HX; online access also available. Sunday: Online only, for the London Arts-Based Research Centre.
£195.72 in person, £109.05 online, booking required.
Poetry between Creation and Interpretation: The London Centre for Interdisciplinary Research hosts an international conference on poetry studies. The call for papers is open until Sat 25 April.
Birkbeck University of London, Bloomsbury; building and rooms TBC. Also available online.
The listing is primarily maintained and updated by Matt Martin, with assistance from other attendees of Writers Forum Workshop.
Haven’t I seen this page elsewhere?
Innovative Poetry Readings in London was developed by the poet Peter Philpott in 2009 as part of his website, www.modernpoetry.org.uk. He continued to run the listings as a service to London’s poetry communities until August 2018; the rest of his site remains active and is of great interest. In 2018, Peter bequeathed the listings to the website of the Contemporary Poetics Research Centreat Birkbeck, University of London, where Matt Martin took on its maintenance. In 2022, changes to the university’s IT systems made it impractical for the listings page to continue there; it moved to its current home at the beginning of 2023.
Why only London?
Exciting things definitely happen in the rest of the UK; this page’s focus on London reflects that Writers Forum Workshop convenes there. To maintain listings of innovative poetry events nationwide would be a forbiddingly huge task, given that the page is updated by volunteers in their spare time.
How can I get my event listed?
Contact us herewith details of any readings or other events for this page, including a link to a webpage or social media post for the event if possible. Contact us when we’ve made a mistake also, please. Bear in mind:
The listings are not always updated daily. To ensure that your event is posted in time to spread the word, please send information at least a week beforehand: the further in advance, the more useful the listing will be for you.
The listings are for activities within the traditions or communities of innovative poetry – those that Writers Forum Workshop exists to further. We aim to be inclusive, incorporating cross-cultural and internationalist currents, and extending to celebrations of modernist precursors, but there are limits to what will be publicised here.
What do you mean by ‘innovative poetry’?
Broadly speaking, poetry that challenges the traditionally accepted definitions of the art form – work which might also be dubbed ‘experimental’, ‘avant-garde’, ‘modernist’, ‘postmodernist’, ‘neo-modernist’, etc. Such poetry can diverge from the conservative norm in many different directions – a personal view from Peter Philpott is online here. These scenes are constantly developing. In the UK, the last couple of decades have seen an increasing (though still frustratingly sporadic) acceptance of innovative poetry by universities, major publishers, literary prize-givers and other institutions. Simultaneously, the field has been enriched by a growing number of intersections between poetry communities, while women, non-binary, Black British and British Asian poets, as well as UK-based poets born overseas, have all become more prominent.
Can you guarantee that these events will be good?
We hope they will be, but we cannot take responsibility for the quality of events organised by other parties, or for the reliability of information made available to us by others. However, every event here is listed because it promises something of interest to those keen to explore new possibilities for poetry. Descriptions in the listings are based on publicity material.
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