A new poetry festival that is aiming high will be staged in Winchester next month. The festival’s Stephen Boyce said in an interview with Write Out Loud earlier this year that it was hoped that Winchester would eventually achieve the same standing as Stanza, Aldeburgh and Ledbury. Poets taking part at the three-day festival from 12-14 September include Patience Agbabi, pictured, Jackie Kay, Michael Longley, David Constantine, Edna Longley, Olivia McCannon, Ros Barber, Julia Copus, Brian Patten and Zena Edwards.

 

AUGUST

Edinburgh Fringe, 1-25 August 

Edinburgh book festival, 9-25 August 

Alrewas arts festival, 23-30 August 

 

SEPTEMBER

Bristol poetry festival, 10-21 September 

Winchester poetry festival, 12-14 September

Wise Words festival, Canterbury, 12-21 September

Wigan Diggers' festival, 13 September 

Wakefield Lit Fest, 18-30 September

King's Lynn poetry festival, 26-28 September

 

OCTOBER

Warwick Words festival of literature and spoken word, 1-5 October

Swindon poetry festival, 2-5 October

Birmingham literature festival, 2-11 October

Ilkley literature festival, 3-19 October

Manchester literature festival, 6-19 October

Essex poetry festival, Chelmsford, 11 October 

Ted Hughes festival, West Yorkshire, 24-26 October

 

NOVEMBER

Aldeburgh poetry festival, 7-9 November

Reading poetry festival, 7-9 November