Pre-Festival
Events
​​​Exploring LAND
in association with The Art Station, Saxmundham
Saturday 13 September
Old Bank Riverside Garden, 24 High Street, Saxmundham IP17 1AJ
We are delighted to be part of this day-long event, where artists and poets respond to the group exhibition LAND, currently on show at The Old Bank, 24 High Street Saxmundham.
From 10:30 until 12:30, artist-gardener Jevan Watkins-Jones will be in discussion with artists Daniel & Clara about their recent Birding project, a body of work exploring birdwatching and the human gaze, in part inspired by J.A. Baker’s book The Peregrine.
The day will stop for lunch, where you are invited to get food from a variety of food trucks on Fromus Square, just beyond the Old Bank Riverside Garden gate.
From 2–5pm, Tamar Yoseloff of Poetry in Aldeburgh, is joined by four East Anglian poets — Dide, Justin Hopper, Rebecca Goss and Karl Knights — responding directly to the themes of place, memory and belonging presented in LAND.
Tickets are a minimum £5 donation and must be booked in advance here
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Poetry in Aldeburgh at Suffolk Libraries
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We are partnering for the first time with Suffolk Libraries (the perfect collaborator, given this year’s festival theme of ‘The Book and Beyond’) and thanks to the support of the Maria BjÓ§rnson Memorial Fund, we are excited to reveal our pre-festival library programme for adults and children.
All events are FREE to attend, but please book in advance through the participating library.
Monday 8 September 7pm
Poems About Libraries
Framlingham Library, The Old Court House, Bridge St, Framlingham, IP13 9AJ
Please join poet and librarian Lorraine Mariner, the editor of Ten Poems About Libraries (Candlestick Press) who will share some of her favourite poems about libraries as well as some of her own poems on libraries, books and writing. Expect some writing exercises to inspire you to create your own poem about a treasured library or beloved book.
FREE to attend, but tickets must be booked in advance from Framlingham Library here
Sunday 14 September 3pm
Afternoon Tea and Poetry with Blake Morrison
Southwold Library, Old Hospital Hub, Field Stile Rd, Southwold IP18 6LD
Among Blake Morrison’s best-loved poems are those celebrating East Suffolk, a landscape he’s known for forty years, with its big skies, reedbeds, and shingle beaches. In discussion with Tamar Yoseloff, he’ll reflect on the importance of Suffolk in his work and why, despite writing memoirs, novels and plays, poetry remains his first love. He’ll read from his forthcoming collection, about love, war, age and the loss of his younger sister Gillian. Blake will be signing copies of his books, supplied by Southwold Books.
FREE to attend, but tickets must be booked in advance from Southwold Library here
or by phoning 01502 442817.
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Friday 17 October 10:30am to 12:30pm
Poetry Workshop: Finding Family Lines
with Naomi Jaffa and Dean Parkin, aka The Poetry People
Halesworth Library, Bridge St, Halesworth IP19 8AD
A creative opportunity to explore and refresh our family stories in a free and friendly two-hour workshop, led by Poetry People’s specialist community poets Dean Parkin and Naomi Jaffa. Suitable for both new and seasoned writers, this welcoming session will offer a mix of inventive exercises and inspiring sample poems to prompt reconnections with those relatives, episodes and memories that continue to shape our lives. What do we know and where are the gaps in our family histories? A safe space to lift your spirits, catch words and stories, and connect with others. Fresh perspectives, discoveries, speculations and celebrations await.
FREE to attend, but places must be booked in advance from Halesworth Library, either by visiting the branch or phoning 01986 506062.
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Saturday 25 October 3:30pm
Talk: Firing the Canon: Tigers and Daffodils with Christine Webb
Aldeburgh Library, Victoria Rd, Aldeburgh IP15 5EG
Why are some poems popular, and can a poem be truly 'timeless'? Do our tastes change in response to fashion, or to politics, and are these the same thing? How do editors of anthologies make their choices – to include Keats’s nightingale, Hughes’s hawk, Oswald’s swan, or all three – to give more weight to W H Auden or Raymond Antrobus, to Emily Dickinson or Imtiaz Dharker? Christine Webb invites you to consider what we love and value in poetry, and whether that changes over time.
FREE to attend, booking advisable either by visiting Aldeburgh Library or phoning 01728 587100.
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Tuesday 28 October 2pm-2.45pm
Poetry for Children: A Fun Performance and Workshop for 3-8 year olds
Saxmundham Library, Block B, Street Farm Rd, Saxmundham IP17 1AL
In this 45-minute entertaining session, children’s poet Barbara Bleiman will give a reading / performance of poems from her recently published collection Snap! There will be chances for children to participate in the performance and an opportunity to do a little bit of collective poetry writing. Refreshments will be available at the end of the session.
FREE to attend, but places must be booked in advance from Saxmundham Library, either by visiting the branch, phoning 01728 587887, or emailing saxmundham.library@suffolklibraries.co.uk
Poetry in Aldeburgh + National Centre for Writing
Thursday 9 October 18:30-20:00
Beyond the Page: An Evening of Live Poetry,
National Centre for Writing at Dragon Hall, 115-123 King St, Norwich NR1 1QE
We are pleased to be collaborating with the National Centre for Writing on this this special showcase featuring performances by poets Ramona Herdman, James McDermott, Jenny Pagdin, and Julia Webb. Inspired by our festival theme, ‘The Book and Beyond’, the event will be hosted by Jane Commane, editor and director of Nine Arches Press, publisher of all the featured poets, who will also offer insight into what makes an outstanding poetry collection.
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Tickets can be purchased on a pay-what-you-wish basis here
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