The small press publisher Iron Press is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a five-day festival in the seaside town of Cullercoats in North Tyneside from 15-19 May. An event hosted by Kate Fox with readings from the Iron Book of New Humorous verse is sold out, but there are still tickets available for Ian McMillan on Friday night. A “sea haiku” trip in a fishing boat and a workshop at a fish and chip restaurant are also sellouts, but a snooker tournament involving Iron Press writers will be going on all weekend, as will a weekend book fair run by Inpress Books, the Newcastle-based organisation funded by Arts council England, that supports and represents around 40 independent presses nationwide. More details

 

MAY

Liverpool Writing on the wall festival, 1-31 May 

Sheffield Lyric festival, 2-5 May

Strokestown international poetry festival, Co Roscommon, Ireland, 3-5 May 

Swindon festival of literature, 6-18 May 

Poetry-next-the-sea, Wells-next-the-sea, Norfolk, 10-12 May 

Norfolk and Norwich festival, 10-26 May 

St Iives literature festival, Cornwall, 11-18 May 

Prestwich book festival, 14 May - 15 June 

Iron Age festival, Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear, 15-19 May 

London literature festival, 20 May - 8 September 

Hay festival, 23 May - 2 June

London Keats festival, 24 May - 2 June 

Glastonwick festival of beer, music and poetry, Coombes, West Sussex, 31 May - 2 June  

Wychwood festival, 31 May - 2 June 

Sheffield poetry festival, 31 May -9 June

 

JUNE

Hay festival, ends 2 June

London Keats festival, ends 2 June 

Glastonwick festival of beer, music and poetry, Coombes, West Sussex, ends 2 June  

Wychwood festival, ends 2 June

Sheffield poetry festival, ends 9 June

Scribble festival, Manchester, 11-12 June 

Bridlington poetry festival, 14-16 June 

Ludlow Fringe festival, 21-30 June

Glastonbury festival, 26-30 June 

 

JULY

Ledbury poetry festival, Herefordshire, 5-14 July 

Wirral Festival of Firsts, 6-14 July

Latitude festival, Southwold, Suffolk, 18-21 July 

 

AUGUST

Edinburgh festival fringe, 2-26 August

Arran, McLellan arts festival, 30 August – 8 September 

 

SEPTEMBER

Wigan Diggers’ festival, 7 September 

King’s Lynn poetry festival, 21-23 September 

Wigtown book festival, Dumfries and Galloway, 27 September - 6 October 

 

OCTOBER

Ilkley literature festival, 4-20 October, 

Morley literature festival, Leeds, 5-13 October

North Wales international poetry festival, Clywd theatre, 7 October ,

Manchester literature festival, 7-20 October 

Marsden poetry jam, jazz festival, Huddersfield, 11-13 October

Sheffield Off the Shelf festival of words, 12 October- 2 November 

Torbay festival of poetry, 24-28 October

 

NOVEMBER

Aldeburgh poetry festival, 8-10 November 

 

Organisers, send us links to your festivals at news@writeoutloud.net, and we will endeavour to list them here, if they include poetry events. You can also upload individual festival events yourselves on our renowned Gig Guide.