Cheltenham Poetry Festival

Cheltenham Poetry Festival 'Cheltenham Poetry Festival is a triumph!' Alison Brackenbury, Poet. Cheltenham Poetry Festival is committed to offering you a feast of poetry.

We offer an electrifying online programme of readings, workshops and performances featuring some of the most important and exciting artists in the world. Over the past few months we have been bringing new voices into your homes and sustaining new connections. We will continue to offer this inspiring programme to you as we move toward running events safely in the venues of Cheltenham again. If you

would like to hone your work in a class, perform at an open mic or sit back and enjoy a reading by one of our top class writers and performers check our events listings and see what’s available.

We have six amazing poets reading at our September Allstars online event on 8th Sept at 7pmOver the next couple of weeks...
19/08/2026

We have six amazing poets reading at our September Allstars online event on 8th Sept at 7pm

Over the next couple of weeks, we shall be posting about them individually. First up is Rachel Spence:

Based in the UK and Italy, Rachel Spence has had poems on BBC's The Verb, in PN Review, The Alchemy Spoon and 14 magazine among other publications. Her two poetry collections, Bird of Sorrow (Templar 2018) and Daughter of the Sun (The Emma Press, 2025) were both highly commended in the Forward Prizes.

Tickets and more info from: https://www.ticketsource.com/cheltenhampoetryfestival/a-celebration-of-our-online-lounges/e-qrjmlo

Don't miss our mini-festival of all-star poets on 8th September. To celebrate 6 years of our online poetry lounges we ar...
12/08/2026

Don't miss our mini-festival of all-star poets on 8th September. To celebrate 6 years of our online poetry lounges we are bringing back to our Zoom room six poets who have wowed our audiences in the past.

Those poets are: Karen Downs-Barton, Rae Howells, , , Christina Thatcher. .webb2

Tickets from: https://www.ticketsource.com/cheltenhampoetryfestival/a-celebration-of-our-online-lounges/e-qrjmlo

All the poets will be reading from their new books.

Don't miss the chance to hear six poetry stars.

Explore how careful use of sonic effects can inform and empower your poems in this online workshop with Anna Saunders on...
25/07/2026

Explore how careful use of sonic effects can inform and empower your poems in this online workshop with Anna Saunders on 20th August

You will focus on rhythm, assonance, alliteration, colloquial expressions, and even the evocative power of silence (through careful use of line breaks, breath, and pauses).

Tickets and more information from: https://www.ticketsource.com/cheltenhampoetryfestival

You will explore ways of listening and attuning your ear to the sound of your poems. You will look at the work of poets such as Dylan Thomas, Gerald Manley Hopkins, Kaveh Akbar, and Liz Berry for inspiration. There will also be writing tasks in class to generate new drafts.

22/07/2026

Music Made of Visual Thoughts - A Workshop on Sonics in poetry (20th August)

Explore how careful use of sonic effects can inform and empower your poems.

Information and tickets from
https://www.ticketsource.com/cheltenhampoetryfestival/a-music-made-of-visual-thoughts-sonics-in-poetry-a-workshop/e-jpgjdr

You will focus on rhythm, assonance, alliteration, colloquial expressions, and even the evocative power of silence (through careful use of line breaks, breath, and pauses).

You will explore ways of listening and attuning your ear to the sound of your poems. You will look at the work of poets such as Dylan Thomas, Gerald Manley Hopkins, Kaveh Akbar, and Liz Berry for inspiration. There will also be writing tasks in class to generate new drafts.

Crafting Titles - a workshop on the theme of titlesA poem title can do a lot of heavy lifting – it can compel the reader...
09/07/2026

Crafting Titles - a workshop on the theme of titles

A poem title can do a lot of heavy lifting – it can compel the reader, create tension and drama, spark curiosity and even offer enough information - in a few words - to free the rest of the poem to be more allusive, symbolic or metaphorical. But how can we make sure our titles have the muscle to carry this poetic weight?

Tickets: https://www.ticketsource.com/cheltenhampoetryfestival
Join Anna Saunders for an inspiring and stimulating workshop in which you will find ways of crafting titles with heft and power.

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