This event features readings from Lies Van Gasse and Bettina Fung, Maud Vanhauwaert and Mischa Foster Poole, and Paul Demets and Eley Williams. Introduced by Chris McCabe and hosted by SJ Fowler. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 29 June 2022.

European Poetry Festival 2022 - Flanders

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. An evening featuring readings from Noah Jacob, Oshanti Ahmed and Mukahang Limbu, followed by an open mic. Hosted by Cia Mangat and introduced by Lorraine Mariner. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 6 July 2022. Image by Aude Nasr.

Zindabad Zine - Diaspora Poetry

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. An evening of performances interspersed with dance interludes from Rupam Baoni and Supriya Kaur Dhaliwal. Hosted by Karen Smith. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 3 August 2022. Image by Rupam Baoni.

Mapping the Body

An evening marking the launch of the library’s ‘Poetry Games’ exhibition, featuring live performances from Astra Papachristodoulou and Jon Stone. Hosted by Nick Murray and introduced by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 22 October 2022. Image by Nick Murray.

Poetry Games Opening Event

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. An evening of poetry and discussion exploring the theme of grief, featuring Denise Riley, Ceclia Knapp and Rachel Long. Hosted by Maria Leonard and introduced by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 5 April 2023.

Grief Time

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. Poets Kate Fox, Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa and Jill Abram get together for an event that challenges preconceptions around women, poetry and autism. Introduced by Lorraine Mariner. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 14 June 2023. Photograph: Jill Abram, by Naomi Woddis.

You Can't Be Autistic, You're a Poet

A recording from Poetry International 2023. This one-off showcase, marking the National Poetry Library’s 70th birthday, features extended live readings from CAConrad, John Kinsella, Lidija Dimkovska, Belinda Zhawi, Yang Lian and Olive Senior. In addition to their own work, each poet was invited to select their favourite poem from the National Poetry Library’s collection to share on the evening. Hosted by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the Queen Elizabeth Hall’s Purcell Room on Sunday 23 July 2023.

NPL at 70: International Celebration

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. An event marking the launch of ‘Where Else’, an anthology featuring poetry from Hong Kong and its diaspora, with readings from Ian Humphreys, Helen Bowell, Tammy Lai-Ming Ho and Kavita A Jindal. Hosted by Jennifer Wong, Jason Eng Hun Lee and Tim Tim Cheng, and introduced by Lorraine Mariner. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 7 July 2023. Image by Tung Pang Lam.

Where Else: International Hong Kong Poetry

A recording from London Literature Festival 2023. In the first part of this gala celebration of the National Poetry Library’s 70th birthday, Mersey Sound legends Roger McGough and Brian Patten read and discuss their work. Hosted by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the Queen Elizabeth Hall’s Purcell Room on Sunday 29 October 2023. Image: Roger McGough and Brian Patten, by Pete Woodhead.

National Poetry Library at 70 Celebration - Part 1/2

A recording from London Literature Festival 2023. The second part of this gala celebration of the National Poetry Library’s 70th birthday features readings and performances from Dzifa Benson, Zena Edwards, Hannah Silva and Lemn Sissay. Hosted by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the Queen Elizabeth Hall’s Purcell Room on Sunday 29 October 2023. Image: Dzifa Benson, by Pete Woodhead.

National Poetry Library at 70 Celebration - Part 2/2

An evening of readings and conversation with Alice Notley, one of America’s most compelling and visionary poets. Hosted by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the Royal Festival Hall’s Level 5 Function Room on Wednesday 6 April 2022.

NPL Presents: Alice Notley

A recording from the National Poetry Library’s Special Edition series. Poets Esme Allman, author of Sweet Bone Girl (forthcoming with Broken Sleep Books), and Shanay Neusum-James, author of Surrender Dorothy (Bad Betty Press), discuss how they render desire in their poetry and how popular culture, colonial history and bad behaviour have informed their practice. The event explores themes of transgression, desire and what it means to articulate Black feminine desire on the periphery of Eurocentric heteronormativity. Introduced by Sonia Hope. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 10 July 2024.

Transgressive Poetics

An evening marking the launch of Astra Papachristodoulou’s ‘Making Poetry’ exhibition at the library, featuring readings from Karenjit Sandhu, Briony Hughes and Astra Papachristodoulou. Hosted by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Saturday 13 July 2024.

Making Poetry Opening Event

An evening celebrating one of the most skilful and imaginative exponents of the long poem in English, Gavin Selerie (1949 – 2023), whose work ranged in content from the life of Sheridan Le Fanu, to jazz, London and the Renaissance. As well as hearing Colin Still's archival recordings from the poet himself, the event features short talks and readings of his work from a range of contemporary poets including Harry Gilonis, Robert Hampson, Elizabeth James, Geraldine Monk, Frances Presley and from Selerie's publisher, Glenn Storhaugh.

A Gavin Selerie Celebration

An evening celebrating the life and work of pioneering Jamaican feminist activist, poet, writer and first Black BBC producer Una Marson. Featuring talks about Una Marson and readings of her work by staff from the National Poetry Library and the Una Marson Library, and a reading and film by Rosa-Johan Uddoh. Presented in partnership with Southwark’s Una Marson Library. Introduced by Chris Mccabe. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 22 August 2024.

Una Marson Celebration

A recording from the National Poetry Library’s Special Edition series, featuring poets Ann Pelletier-Topping, Danne Jobin, L. Kiew, Mary Robinson, and Jinhao Xie, who write between English and their respective mother tongues (French, Welsh, Teochew, Chengdu-ness – a subset of Sichuanese – and Mandarin). Each of the poets explore the limitations of language, where imagery falters or the word loses its meaning in the liminal space of translation. Their poems respond to themes of identity, migration and boundaries through the lenses of multiculturalism and multilingualism. Introduced by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 9 September 2024.

Other Languages Othered Worlds

A recording from the National Poetry Library’s Special Edition series. A celebration of The Last Dance anthology launch, International Day of the Older Person, and National Poetry Day, presented by All Change and Well Versed. Well Versed is a collective of ordinary, extraordinary older people who make and share poetry for connection, escape, solace, witness, protest and fun. Working with poet Francesca Beard and a very special guest, The Last Dance layers spoken word, music, movement and visuals, ending with a Q&A that invites the audience to discuss arts activism, ageing, care and community. Introduced by Lorraine Mariner. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 2 October 2024.

The Last Dance

A recording from the National Poetry Library’s annual Poetry Day, featuring performances from the Southbank Centre’s New Poets Collective as they read brand new poems in response to the work of the most popular poets in the National Poetry Library collection. Including Michaela Coplen, Luigi Coppola, Kit Griffiths, Jordan Hayward, Erica Hesketh, Pẹ̀lúmi Obasaju, Kaz Reeves, Patrick Romero McCafferty, AC Smith and William Wyld. Recorded in the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer on Saturday 26 October 2024.

Poetry Day

An evening of readings by the most voted-for poets in the library’s 70-Poet Challenge, including Lemn Sissay, Hollie McNish, Zaffar Kunial and Alice Oswald. Also featuring 70-word poems written by the public as part of the challenge, including a selection written by men and women in the prison service, read by Erica Hesketh. Hosted by Chris McCabe. Recorded in the Purcell Room at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Saturday 26th October 2024.

The Peoples Favourite Poets

An evening commemorating the 21st anniversary of Causley’s death, celebrating his life and work through a series of readings, conversations and reminiscences. It also sees the launch of The Drifted Stream, an anthology published by Broken Sleep Books in association with the Charles Causley Trust. Featuring readings and contributions from Tommy Sissons, Rachel Piercey, Zig Zag Stanza, two 2024 Causley Trust International Poetry competition winners, Sue Wallace-Shaddad, producer and presenter Tash Walker and trust director Nicola Nuttall and Chair David Devanny. Introduced by Lorraine Mariner. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Tuesday 5 November 2024.

Remembering Charles Causley

A recording from the National Poetry Library’s Special Edition series, highlighting the voices published in The Other Side of Hope, a literary magazine that provides a platform for marginalised stories and perspectives from migrants and refugees. The evening also features the voices of Young Roots, a London-based charity working with refugee and asylum-seeking young people. Hosted by Asiye Betül. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 6 November 2024.

The Other Side of Hope

A recording from the World Poet Series. Featuring Syrian poet and translator Golan Haji, civil-rights activist and writer Nasrin Parvaz and translator and poet Stephen Watts. Supported by The British Council and Modern Poetry in Translation. This event was recorded in The Poetry Library on Wednesday 13th April 2016.

World Poet Series: The Great Flight

A recording from The Poetry Library's Special Edition series. Featuring Jack Mapanje and Landeg White in conversation, chaired by David Constantine. Recorded in The Poetry Library on Wednesday 4th May 2016.

Jack Mapanje And Landeg White

A recording from The National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. Hear odes to the beloved River Thames from some of London's freshest spoken word artists and poets: Jeremiah Brown, Erin Bolens, Toby Campion and Rachel Nwokoro, chaired by Kat Francois. Recorded in The National Poetry Library on Wednesday 6 September 2017. This event was a Thames Festival Trust commission and part of Totally Thames 2017.

Special Edition

Boat Poets Thames Takeover

Inua Ellams - Portrait of Prometheus as a Basketball Player

Poem from Pepper Seed (Peepal Tress Press)

Malika Booker - The House on Jubilee Street

Sabrina Mahfouz - If I Were A Rose

Tim Wells - Dedicated to the Girl

Sarah Wescott - Afterlife

Joe Duggan - Library Lovers

Keith Jarrett - Colours

Kayo Chingonyi - Orientation

Raymond Antrobus - The Day is All Over Me

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. Featuring a very special line-up of poets who have been seriously influenced by the revolutionary French poet Arthur Rimbaud - Niall McDevitt, Paul Stubbs and Blandine Longre, Penny Rimbaud accompanied on saxophone by Louise Elliot, and Jeremy Reed. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 1 August 2018.

Rimbaud in London

Citizens of the Archive performance

Rachel Long - The Art of Undressing

Momtaza Mehri - November 1997

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. Readings from Livonian poet Valts Ernstreits with poet and translator Ryan Van Winkle, plus Scottish poets Stuart A Paterson and Macgillivray. Chaired by Poetry Librarian Chris McCabe. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 5 December 2018.

Poetry for Preservation

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. Featuring performances from Earwax, an all-women and femme identifying collective - Naomi Hinds, Ranya El-Refaey, Izzy DuBois, Esme Lewis-Gartside, and Olivia Douglass. Chaired by Arabella Turner. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 6 March 2019.

Earwax

Savannah Sevenzo - Riding Out

A recording from the National Poetry Library's Special Edition series. A celebration of the life of poet and musician Razz, guardian of Survivors’ Poetry. With readings and tributes from Simon Jenner, Frank Banga, Dave Russell, Jessica Lawrence, Debbie McNamara, George Tahta, Colin Hambrook, Wendy Young and MC Cina Rama. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Wednesday 4 September 2019.

A Homage to Razz

A recording by the National Poetry Library, part of Imagine Festival for Children. Adventure into snowy mountains and deep blue oceans with poems celebrating the world you live in with poets Sabrina Mahfouz and Liz Brownlee as they read from the new anthology, Poems from a Green and Blue Planet. Recorded in the National Poetry Library on Monday 17 February 2020.

Imagine Festival

Poems from a Green and Blue Planet

The National Poetry Library is the largest public collection of modern poetry in the world. Based at Southbank Centre, we are free and open to all.

National Poetry Library

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks