Ted Hughes Poetry Festival starts in Mexborough tonight

POETRY lovers are gathering this week for the annual Ted Hughes Poetry Festival in Mexborough.

The four-day event celebrating the late Poet Laureate launches tonight at 6pm at Mexborough Business Centre, formerly the grammar school Hughes attended.

This year’s programme includes performances from some of the most popular names in poetry, including Ian McMillan, Hollie McNish, Andrew McMillan and Raymond Antrobus. 

There are also workshops, on-the-street poetry performances and talks.

The launch event featured Ian McMillan, Suzannah Evans, Write On Mexborough and a pie and pea supper.

Tomorrow night will see readings by Hollie McNish and Steve Nash from 6.30pm onwards, with Andrew McMillan, Isaiah Hull and Young Identity in action on Friday.

There’s a busy programme on Saturday, starting at 10.30am with a poetry workshop led by Antony Dunn and a young people’s session titled Transformation through Poetry with writer Vicky Morris at the same time.

The rest of the day’s programme is as follows:

1.30pm to 3pm: Ted Hughes: Ecopoet. Yvonne Reddick poetry reading and in conversation with Steve Ely

1.30pm to 3.30pm: Democracy of Words

4pm to 6pm: Valley Press Poets: Antony Dunn, Penny Boxall, Robert Powell, Wendy Pratt

6.30pm to 9pm: Festival Closing Event with Raymond Antrobus and Clare Shaw

On Sunday, from 11am to 2pm, poet Steve Ely and arts champion Dominic Somers will lead the performance trail Ted Hughes’ Paper Round.

Ticket details can be found here.