COUPLETS are being burnished ready for the SkyLines Festival of Poetry and Spoken Word at the Belgrade Theatre from today to Sunday.
Featuring an impressive line-up of more than 30 poets, they include Costa Book Award and Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year winners, household names plus national and local talent who will explore the theme of ‘new perspectives’.
With seven workshops, more than a dozen live poetry events spanning a broad range of poetry, open mics and walking tours it promises something for everyone.
The majority of live events will be taking place in the SkyLines festival hub at the Belgrade.
The carefully curated line-up showcases some of poetry’s most exciting and inspiring performers, including both acclaimed names as well as poets, performers and poetry activists on the ascendant.
The news follows the headline acts being announced earlier this month. Household favourite Hollie McNish is appearing as part of her Slug tour with Michael Pedersen at 8pm tonight.
Jill Abram, director of the poetry collective Malika’s Poetry Kitchen, hosts the poet and educator Jacob Sam-La Rose plus guests Lewis Driver, Alice Richmond and Meg Waters on Saturday from 8pm.
Topping it to close the festival is John Hegley who’s on stage at 8pm on Sunday with Drawings of Dromedaries (and other creatures).
Other highlights for festival-goers include Life in Poems, Costa Poetry Book award-winner Hannah Lowe and Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Raymond Antrobus while poets Navkiran Mann, Shahnaz Akhter, Khizra Bano and guest poet Nafeesa Hamid will be sharing with the audience their top pick of poems which disrupt narratives around power, beauty and feminism in the event Mushaira.
Jane Commane, editor and director at Nine Arches Press, said: “This will be a superb summer weekend of poetry – we’re so excited to invite everyone to join us in Coventry, to share in the power of poetry and spoken word and gain their own ‘new perspectives’ on the world.”
SkyLines Festival of Poetry and Spoken Word is supported by funding from Arts Council England. To book tickets and see the full line-up, visit www.skylinescoventry.co.uk
