PoetryFest

Welcome to the first Warwick PoetryFest, a vibrant celebration of energy, creativity, and the freshest voices Warwick has to offer. Across three weeks and seven free events, this new festival brings together Warwick alumni poets, rising student voices, and sessions shaped and led by students, where poetry meets community and every voice matters.

We invite all Warwick staff and students to join us for poetry and performance that inspires, challenges, and delights. Whether you love spoken word, new writing, or want to take the mic yourself, there is something for everyone.

PoetryFest is developed collaboratively with students and hosted by poet Professor David Morley, and forms part of the Warwick Writing Programme’s Warwick Thursdays series in the School of Creative Arts, Performance and Visual Cultures. Please share the word.

Everything is free and open to all current students and staff.

Headline events:

Jane Commane

with opening poet Aanu Akintola

Thursday, 26 February

5pm - 6:15pm

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Jane Commane:

Coventry-born poet, editor, and publisher, is a powerhouse of precision and heart. Director of Nine Arches Press and co-editor of Under the Radar , her debut Assembly Lines explores labour, place, and community with raw power. Jerwood Compton Fellow and Cholmondeley Award winner, Jane’s work is deeply woven into Warwick’s creative fabric.

Jonathan Edwards

with opening poet Fig Leary

Thursday, 5 March

5pm - 6:15pm

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Jonathan Edwards:

Welsh poet and Warwick alum, brings warmth, wit, and sharp imagination to his Costa Award-winning collections My Family and Other Superheroes and Gen . His poetry invites us to see family and community in a new light.

Cathy Galvin

with opening poet TBC

Thursday, 12 March

5pm - 6:15pm

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Cathy Galvin:

poet, editor, and literary organiser, is a creative force behind the Word Factory and Sunday Times Short Story Award. Her Bloodaxe Books debut Ethnology: A Love Song for Connemara explores language, place, and identity with fierce lyricism and is launched at this event.

More events:

You must not come lightly!

with Warwick Poetry Society

Monday, 2 March

1pm - 1:45pm

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'You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness or even despair… Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page.' — Stephen King, On Writing

The session begins with a reading from On Writing. We’ll share some poems of our own, each introduced with a brief note on how we approached the blank page, whether for serious or trivial reasons. Then, we invite other poets to join us, sharing their work along with why they came to the page and the feelings they carried to the microphone.

UniSlam Poetry Reading

with Warwick Poetry Slam Champions

Monday, 9 March

1pm - 1:45pm

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The University of Warwick has a distinguished, award-winning presence in UniSlam, the UK’s premier university poetry slam competition. Warwick’s team, black.untitled, won the 2024 UniSlam championship and competed again in the 2025 grand finals. Join University Slam Champion Aanu Akintola, Fuad Busoir and the acclaimed Warwick UniSlam Team for a live poetry slam filled with powerful performances, dynamic rhythms, and voices that demand to be heard.

The Agora Poets invite you...

Open mic session

Thursday, 12 March

7pm - 8:30pm

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A warm, supportive, one-hour open mic poetry session designed to uplift new and developing poets. Members of the Agora Poets will host, perform, and gently support participants throughout. At least eight performance slots are included, with flexibility for more if time allows. Join weekly meetups beforehand to workshop and rehearse your poem in a welcoming space for ‘poets in progress’. All levels encouraged. To perform, RSVP: claire.cunningham@warwick.ac.uk

Concordia: Voices in harmony

Practice of Poetry Anthology Launch and Student Reading

Monday, 16 March

1pm - 1:45pm

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An event where poets of ranging styles meet in a communion of minds. Witness the cutting edge of Warwick poetry as new voices rise.