Overview

Welcome to the Newcastle Poetry Festival! Now in its seventh year, the Newcastle Poetry Festival continues to draw on the talents of poets across the UK and internationally, while showcasing Northern writing and publishing.

Our theme in 2023 is ‘Community’. Under this theme, we explore poetry’s contribution to different communities and the power of writing collectives to encourage creativity. Join us for the Northern Poetry Symposium run jointly with the Poetry Book Society, workshops, readings, Poetry Live (our event for schools), our Royal Society of Literature lecture, poems inspired by art from Newcastle University students, performances from the winner of the Chancellor’s Poetry Prize and the People’s Theatre youth groups, and our open mic for local writers in partnership with Poet in the City and Born Lippy #NPFC23