2021 Online Festival Programme
Browse by day for complete event descriptions and bios and download or print an A4 programme to help you plan
Access
We acknowledge that there may be accessibility issue for some audience members and we invite them to contact us in advance to see how we can help, potentially by liaising with poets and providing text versions of poems in advance of the performance. In some instances we may provide close captioning
*Refund Policy: With paid-for tickets we do not give refunds if the event or workshop goes ahead. We do understand plans change so contact us directly at poetryalde@gmail.com if you wish to switch.
Poetry in Aldeburgh is a volunteer-led festival.
We receive no external funding but rely on donations and sponsors. To help us pay readers and plan for next year, please give what you can and the amount we leave that to you. You may donate by:
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Online Bank transfer to Poetry in Aldeburgh: sort code 20-98-07 account 73048284 Ref: Donation
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Cheque payable to Poetry in Aldeburgh, sent to 4 Beaconsfield Rd, Aldeburgh, IP15 5HF
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Thank you
Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th November
The festival events (readings, talks, performances) are all free and do not overlap. Each event is of 60-minute duration with some leeway to overrun in the evenings. There are two daily slots for workshops (not free) at 10:00am and 1:15pm with two 90-minute sessions running in parallel Friday to Sunday and a couple on Thursday.
We are delighted that Arjuna Gunarathne is our virtual Artist in Residence this year! Arjuna will be drawing Poetry in Aldeburgh's festival antics via Zoom and we will be posting what he produces across our social media.
10:00am
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Workshop
Steph Morris - The Chrysanthemum’s Last Stand. Keep your Poetry Flowering
60min W1
1:15pm
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Workshop
Dom Bury - Writing with Fire into Fire
60min W2
7:00pm
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Festival Launch Reading
Themes of Place, Perception and Play (Revisited)
with Sarah Doyle, Vanessa Lampert, Samatar Elmi, Stephen Payne
60min E1
9:00pm
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After Dinner Reading
Poetry London celebrating 100 issues
with Colette Bryce, Rachel Long, Vidyan Ravinthiran, Momtaza Mehri
60min E00
9:00pm
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After Dinner Event
Poetry London celebrates 100 issues with editor André Naffis-Sahely, and 4 special guest poets: Colette Bryce, Rachel Long, Vidyan Ravinthiran, Momtaza Mehri and mentees
60min E2
10:00am
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Workshop
Kim Moore - The Personal is Political
See also W16 below for alternate
90min W3
10:00am
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Workshop
Shash Trevett - Writing Poems after Tamil Poetry from Sri Lanka
90min W4
12:00pm
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Reading on 'Place'
Fenland Poetry Journal Showcase with Wendy Cope and six poets: Jonathan Totman, Agnieszka Studzińska, Dominic O’Sullivan, Alexandra Corrin-Tachibana, Anna Maria Mickiewicz, Chris Emery
60min E3
1:15pm
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Workshop
Rachel Long - The Long Hollow Feeling -- Writing Aloneness and Desire
90min W5
1:15pm
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Workshop
James McDermott - Writing Queer Poetry about Nature
90min W6
03:00pm
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Reading on 'Perception'
Poetry and Mental Health
with Briony Bax, Louisa Campbell, Rachel Lewis, Andrew McMillan
60min E4
05:00pm
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Talk and Rading
Seren at 40 Anniversary Celebration introduced by Amy Wack
with Kim Moore, Abeer Ameer, Dai George, Carolyn Jess-Cooke
60min E5
07:00pm
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Reading on 'Play'
Messing About and Crossing Out
with Chrissy Williams, Katie Griffiths, Jon Stone, James McDermott
60min E6
09:00pm
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After Dinner Event
Poetry Performance: Guillemot Press Poets on Poetry and Collaboration with Katrina Porteous, Phoebe Power, Clarissa Álvarez, Petero Kalulé
60+min E7
10:00am
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Workshop
Jon Stone - Answering Back
90min W7
10:00am
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Workshop
Andrew McMillan - Writing the Wordless
90min W8
12:00pm
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Added Workshop
Andrew McMillan - Writing the Wordless
90min W8b
12:00pm
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Reading on 'Place'
Contemporary Ethiopian Poetry – The Poetics of Truth
with Chris Beckett (London), Mihret Kebede (Vienna), Misrak Terefe (Addis Ababa), Kebedech Tekleab (New York), Bedilu Wakjira (Addis Ababa)
60min E8
1:15pm
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Workshop
Lisa Kelly - Signs, Names, Marks and Constraint
90min W9
1:15pm
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Workshop
Vanessa Lampert - Light about the Darkness
see repeat on Monday 8th below
90min W10
3:00pm
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Talk and Reading
Reading on ‘Perception’: On Poetry and Trauma
with Alice Hiller, Chaucer Cameron, Day Mattar, Tessa Foley
60min E9
05:00pm
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Talk and Reading
Following in the footsteps of John Clare
with Robert Selby, Robert Hamberger in conversation with Pam Thompson
60min E10
07:00pm
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Reading on 'Play'
Poetry, Popular Culture and Video Games
with Matt Haigh, Maria Sledmere, Emma Filtness, Calum Rodger
60min E11
09:00pm
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After Dinner Event
Bad Betty Poets followed by Open Mic
with Kirsten Luckins, S. Niroshini, Shareen K. Murayama, Joel Auterson
90 min E12
10:00am
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Workshop
Robert Hamberger - In John Clare's Boots: Writing Journeys
90min W11
10:00am
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Workshop
Alice Hiller - Writing more safely about dangerous subjects
see repeat on Monday 8th 1:15pm
90min W12
12:00pm
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Reading on 'Place'
Human Impact on Nature, Landscape and Climate
with Dom Bury, Sarah Westcott, Anna Saunders, Steph Morris
60min E13
1:15pm
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Workshop
Chrissy Williams - Writing Around Pop Culture
90min W13
1:15pm
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Workshop
Chris Beckett - The Poetry of Truth
90min W14
03:00pm
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Reading on Perception
Script, Shape and Image - The Poem and the Page
with Shash Trevett, Jo Morris Dixon, Lisa Kelly, Harry Man & Endre Ruset
60min E14
05:00pm
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Talk and Reading
Rory Waterman talks with the legendary Wendy Cope
to celebrate her writing life and career
60min E15
07:00pm
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Reading on Play
A Dream of Myself – Four Irish Poets Finale
with Séan Hewitt, Victoria Kennefick, Aoife Lyall, Roisin Kelly
60min+ E16
NEXT WEEK - Supplemental Workshops
Monday 8th
1:15pm
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Added Workshop
Alice Hiller - Writing more safely about dangerous subjects
A repeat
90min W15
Monday 8th
1:15pm
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Added Workshop
Vanessa Lampert - Light about the Darkness
A Repeat
90min W10b
Friday 12th
10:00am
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Added Workshop
Kim Moore - The Personal is Political
A Repeat
90min W16