THURSDAY 6 NOVEMBER

WORKSHOP WK1
THU 13.30-15.00 BRUDENELL HOTEL AVOCET ROOM
Make a Handbook with Mike Sims and Julia Bird 

Julia Bird & Mike Sims recently launched their micro-publishing project ‘Handbooks’ – a series of 25 handmade concertina books. Spend the afternoon making your own Handbook with them. Please bring some poems or texts you’re working on, some scissors and a glue-stick, and anything else you like using to make a mark or image (ink pens, coloured pencils, collage materials including old magazines etc). 
 

 

WORKSHOP WK2
THU 14.00-15.30 COURTYARD GALLERY, BALLROOM ARTS
Your Arms Still Wing with Vanessa Lampert 
What does the body remember? By what means and what does it forget? How can the body speak to us and of what does it dream? How can we understand the bodies of other animals? Join acupuncturist/writer Vanessa Lampert in this workshop which will consider contemporary poems by Danez Smith, Matthew Dickman and Natalie Diaz for ideas about what the body can tell us through poetry. Expect to write fast and come away with exciting new ideas for new work. 

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Event 1 Reading 
THU 15.00 to 16.30 JUBILEE HALL
Suffolk Poetry Society, with Annie Freud 
Annie Freud, Patron of the Suffolk Poetry Society, introduces four SPS members: Jane Henderson, Andrew Spencer 
Peter Watkins and Anne Boileau, followed by a set from Annie exploring how our book-based theme enlightens her sense of the Suffolk landscape, its people, history and culture.  

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WORKSHOP WK3
THU 15.30 - 17.00 BRUDENELL HOTEL AVOCET ROOM

Notes on Memory with Rishi Dastidar SOLD OUT

Making sense of, and then making use of, our memories, is a key way we can generate new material. Join Rishi Dastidar for a workshop filled with simple exercises designed to get you paying attention to thoughts, feelings, and details from your life you might have overlooked. All of which will help refresh your approach to writing poems. 

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Event 2 Performance
THU 17.00 to 18.00 JUBILEE HALL
Keats and the Sea with Julia Bird and Mike Sims
'Oh ye! who have your eye-balls vex'd and tir'd, / Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea' advised John Keats – the island-dwelling, ocean-going poet who fished inspiration from both the shallows and fathoms of the sea. An hour of lively chat about the deep dives and seaside inspirations of Keats’ work. Expect reading and conversation, old and new poems, games and giveaways. 
 

Event 3 Preview 
THU 20.00 to 21.00 JUBILEE HALL
A Festival Taster  - FREE
The Poetry in Aldeburgh team will talk about some of the work we love in this year's festival and why we chose it.  Enjoy.

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​FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER

 

Event 4a Walk
FRI 9.30 - 10.45
‘The Beyond’ with Suffolk Poetry Society 
Sue Wallace-Shaddad and Sue Mobbs will lead you on a walk around Aldeburgh. We will read poems stretching beyond the horizon to the back of beyond, beyond time, beyond belief, beyond art, beyond life.  If you have registered for the walk, send up to two (maximum 40 line) poems to the organiser directly on suewallaceshaddad@gmail.com on these themes. Dress appropriately for weather. Some steps involved. Suitable for those 12 years and over.  
 

Event 4b Walk
FRI 9.30 - 10.45
I Put a Rainbow under Your Feet  
Jevan Watkins Jones, Artist & Gardener in Residence at The Art Station / Old Bank Riverside Garden, leads this creative walk that blends visual encounter, drawing, and the poetry of others. Meet at The Courtyard Gallery. Dress appropriately for weather. Some steps involved. Suitable for those 12 years and over.   

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WORKSHOP WK5

FRI 10.45 - 12.15  BRUDENELL HOTEL AVOCET ROOM

Speaking the Poem into Being with Bohdan Piasecki 
This generative workshop uses varied definitions of "voice" as the starting point for new work. The session invites participants to begin six or seven poems, each using the idea of speech, voice, sound in surprising ways. Participants will leave with a handful of exciting drafts and a fresh perspective on how voice can inform and shape their writing. 

 

Event 5 Reading
FRI 11.00 - 12.00 JUBILEE HALL
Bound / Unbound 
Bound / Unbound are a poetry collective that met in Spring 2025 during an intensive residency at Suffolk’s central library in Ipswich. We are pleased to be presenting these six emerging voices: bitemarks, Gabrielle Cracknell, Sarah Hudis, Karl Knights, Phoebe Sung and Cameron Tricker. With thanks to the National Centre for Writing and Suffolk Libraries for their support.  
 

Event 6 Reading & Mass Workshop
FRI 12.30 - 13.40 JUBILEE HALL
Michael Laskey 9x9: celebrating Michael’s 81st 
Michael Laskey, legendary poet and editor, alongside collaborator Jeni Smith, will lead the Jubilee Hall audience in an exciting mass workshop. Michael will also read from his long timeline/lifetime/lifeline of poems and will be joined by Anne Berkeley, reading from her much awaited second collection from Michael’s Garlic Press. Bound to be thrilling! Bring pen and paper. 

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WORKSHOP WK6 
FRI 14.15-15.45  COURTYARD GALLERY, BALLROOM ARTS
So Sweet and So Cold with Patience Agbabi SOLD OUT

The tongue is the primary organ of taste and a synonym for language. Sit down at the table to explore the poetic palette/palate and create poems inspired by memorable meals. From a line-break starter to a synaesthetic dessert, each writing exercise will stimulate multiple senses. You will sample a range of poems and come away with a satisfying draft.

 

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Event 7 Reading
FRI 14.30 - 15.30 JUBILEE HALL
ignitionpress: Clementine Ewokolo Burnley, Eve Ellis and Alycia Pirmohamed 
ignitionpress is an award-winning pamphlet publisher based at The Poetry Centre, Oxford Brookes University. The press showcases arresting work from emerging writers. We are pleased to present three of them who will be introduced by Claire Cox from The Poetry Centre.  

 
Event 8 Talk
FRI 16.00 - 17.00 JUBILEE HALL
Close Readings with Clare Pollard and Roger Robinson  
Two of our headline poets will each be sharing a poem they love and admire, offering a commentary and giving us new and inspirational insights in what promises to be a festival highlight.  
 
 

Event 9 Reception
FRI 17.30 - 18.30 JUBILEE HALL
Festival Drinks - FREE UNTICKETED ADMISSION
Come and join us for a drink at the newly-refurbished Jubilee Hall.  

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Event 10 Performance
FRI 20.00 - 21.00 JUBILEE HALL
Beyond the Book 1 with Caroline Bergvall 
We are delighted to welcome the award-winning poet and sound artist Caroline Bergvall to Aldeburgh. Caroline will be presenting some of her solo work, and will also be joined by musician Jamie Hamilton in sound pieces and visual film from their collaborative project Nattsong.  
 

Event 11 Performance
FRI 21.30 - 22.45 JUBILEE HALL
Beyond the Book 2 with Jasmine Gardosi, Bohdan Piasecki and Hannah Silva
Three poets known for their innovative, sometimes explosive approach to sound, language, technology and the issues of our times take us beyond the page onto the Jubilee Hall stage. To include a surprise collaboration.

 
 

 

SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER
WORKSHOP WK7
SAT 9.30 - 11.00 BRUDENELL HOTEL AVOCET ROOM

Writing the Everyday: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary with Laurie Bolger 

During this session writer Laurie Bolger will invite you to explore various fizzy prompts inspired by The Everyday. This is a chance to work in a close & relaxed group & mix up your poetry with scribbley creative invitations & surprises. Perfect YOU time to get cosy & open those notebooks in praise of the everyday. 

 

 

Event 12 Reading and Workshop
SAT 9.30 - 10.30 JUBILEE HALL
Running Amok in the House of Phrases with Sophie Herxheimer
Poet and artist Sophie Herxheimer will offer up a cornucopia of literary and visual possibilities in this morning’s participatory event, which invites you to create your own collage. Wake yourself up and give yourself a treat. 

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WORKSHOP WK4 (moved from Friday morning) 
SAT 10:45 - 12:15  COURTYARD GALLERY, BALLROOM ARTS - NOTE CHANGE OF TIME AND DATE
Co-Creating Flow Lines: How Poetry and Movement Can Create Interdisciplinary Art 
with Eileen Pun & Ellen Jeffrey

This workshop will explore how to generate poetic material through ‘line-making’– of moving and writing, walking and notating. Aspects covered will range from guided movement explorations that help creative flow, to editorial decision-making and performance considerations. Participants are advised to wear comfortable clothing and shoes for a seaside walk. Please bring pen/paper for writing activities and water for staying refreshed. This workshop is accessible and suitable to non-dancers/movers.  

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Event 13 Reading and Panel Discussion
SAT 11.00 - 12.30 JUBILEE HALL
The Power of the Book under Oppression with Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi, Hanna Komar and Stephen Watts 
Chaired by Fiona Moore
Renowned poet & translator Stephen Watts joins forces with two exiled poets to read their poems and consider books as sources of resistance, debate, enrichment, understanding and inspiration. Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi is famed throughout and far beyond his native Sudan for the beauty of his lyrics and Hanna Komar writes about resisting the patriarchal authoritarianism of the Belarus regime.  

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WORKSHOP WK8 
SAT 12.45-13.45 BRUDENELL HOTEL AVOCET ROOM
Sound poetry: Make the stone stony with Hannah Silva  SOLD OUT
An invitation to play with the textures of language, the rhythms of intonation, the noise of speech. We will knock words together like they are something concrete, pull them apart, reassemble them and question their meaning. Through overuse, our words lose impact – by composing with sounds drawn from language we aim to make words mean something again – to take up Viktor Shklovsky's call to ‘make the stone stony’ – so that we may ‘recover the sensation of life.’

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Event 14 FREE Talk & Exhibition
SAT 13.15 - 14.15  COURTYARD GALLERY, BALLROOM ARTS
The Artist and the Book with John Christie and Helen Gilbart. Chaired by Tamar Yoseloff
Meet our festival artists: John Christie, a visual artist and filmmaker who has produced more than 20 limited editions, often in collaboration with poets; and Helen Gilbart, whose work often responds to place and environment and who created a ‘Book of Hours’ during the Covid 19 pandemic. Their work will be displayed in the Courtyard Gallery during the Festival weekend.  
 

 
Event 15 Reading
SAT 14.30 - 15.30 JUBILEE HALL
First Collection Showcase: Laurie Bolger, Vanessa Lampert and Oluwaseun Olayiwola 
Listen to three riveting readers showcasing first collections. These are some of our finest new voices that will remind you poetry holds infinite possibilities of attitude and approach: powerful, funny and profound. This event is supported by The Poetry Pharmacy.

 

WORKSHOP WK10
SAT 14.30-16.00  BRUDENELL HOTEL AVOCET ROOM
Telling Tales with Fiona Benson  SOLD OUT
Who doesn't love a good narrative poem? Think Brigit Pegeen Kelly's 'Song', Sharon Olds' 'The Race' and Lucille Clifton's 'leukaemia as white rabbit'. In this short and sweet generative workshop we will steal some ideas from narrative structure's tool kit to tell some poetry stories of our own. Expect heroes, obstacles, and very possibly a cat.  

 
Event 16 Panel Discussion
SAT 16.00 - 17.00 JUBILEE HALL
The Future of the Book with Caroline Bergvall, Ian Patterson and Jon Stone 
Chaired by Rishi Dastidar
Join us for a lively and provocative discussion on the future of the book in the age of fake news, AI and social media with three poets who between them have also had roles as publisher, bookseller, performance artist, educator. Chaired by Rishi Dastidar.  

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WORKSHOP WK11
SAT 17.15 - 18.45  COURTYARD GALLERY, BALLROOM ARTS
Bring Back Repetition with Jasmine Gardosi 
“It’s bad to repeat words in our poetry” we’re often told. This workshop will equip you to lean into the technique of repetition with full commitment and courage. We’ll learn to disintegrate words that have power over us, and deconstruct language through the powers of repetition. We’ll create pieces that don’t just sound compelling but launch the meaning and message of your poems beyond the book, into the audience. 

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Event 17 Music
SAT 17.30 -18.30 JUBILEE HALL
All Saints: The Kiss of a Wave   
All Saints Sessions, created by poet Cheryl Moskowitz and musician Alastair Gavin, blends spoken word, music, and electronics in immersive performances. They present The Kiss of a Wave, a journey through Virginia Woolf’s preoccupations with society and war, 100 years after the publication of Mrs. Dalloway. Featuring new writing, field recordings, and live music with lutenist Sam Brown and soprano Elinor Popham.
 

Event 18 Reading
SAT 20.00 - 21.00 JUBILEE HALL
Gala Reading with Clare Pollard and Richard Scott 
Clare Pollard and Richard Scott will take to the stage for a gorgeous evening of great poetry, considering the influence of other poets and other texts on their recent collections. An unmissable event.  
 

Event 19 Open Mic Reading
SAT 21.30 - 22.45 JUBILEE HALL
Open Mic with MC Lewis Buxton 
Lewis Buxton, MC Extraordinaire, will read from his new pamphlet Mate Arias and welcome with whoops and cheers poets from the audience – you perhaps – onto the stage at Jubilee Hall in this free-for-all open mic. Please sign up in advance to read.  

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SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER
WORKSHOP WK12
SUN 9.30 - 11.00  COURTYARD GALLERY, BALLROOM ARTS

Word, World, Body with Oluwaseun Olayiwola 

Boundaries between the word, world, the body, and sensation blur in poetry––or at least they can. What happens when we enact a poetics that not only accepts this dissolution but stylizes it? How can we practice this disintegration of boundaries in a textual manner? We'll look at the work of poets whose practice embraces hybridity, including Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Forrest Gander, CA Conrad, Hart Crane, Jorie Graham and Dionne Brand.  

 

Event 20 Talk
SUN 9.30 - 10.30 JUBILEE HALL
The Robin Boyd Memorial Lecture: Reading Time, Writing Time with Ian Patterson 
What does ‘modern’ mean? Should poetry be ‘news that stays news’, as Ezra Pound said? How do writers think about time? Does it matter? How do we imagine other times? What part does language play in this? Are we hampered by the past? This lecture will think about tradition and change, from Modernism to the present. Free tea/coffee and breakfast bakes will be served courtesy of Caroline Boyd, provided by Silva Kitchen.
 

Event 21 Reading and Performance
SUN 11.00 - 12.00 JUBILEE HALL
Nature in and Beyond the Book with JR Carpenter, Ellen Jeffrey and Eileen Pun
JR Carpenter will perform An Island of Sound, a browser-based work exploring phantom islands in the North Atlantic as weather phenomenon through an assemblage of found images, algorithmically generated texts, live performance, and sound. Eileen & Ellen will take us to Morecambe Bay, retelling the process of the site-specific art commission, Longways / Crosswise. Created from poetry and dance, this multi-disciplinary piece traces connections between the unique landscape and its historical crossings. More information about JR Carpenter's work is here. Full credits for Longways / Crosswise here.
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WORKSHOP WK13
SUN 12.15-13.45  COURTYARD GALLERY, BALLROOM ARTS
Unquiet Poems with Clare Pollard SOLD OUT

To read a poem is to conjure spirits. It is to hear someone from the past speaking directly to you, across time. Poets often lean into this uncanniness, from Keats to Jay Bernard. This workshop will explore how poetry both stops time and haunts it, with exercises drawing on folklore, ghost stories and modes of divination to get your pens tapping on the tables. 

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Event 22 Reading
SUN 12.30 - 13.30 JUBILEE HALL
TOAST Poets 
Founded in 2016 in Norwich, TOAST finds the strongest new voices in poetry and supports their careers through readings and workshops. Please join Lewis Buxton and poets from the collective: Shannon Clinton Copland, Daisy Henwood and Poppy Stevens.

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Event 23 Reading
SUN 14.30 -16.00 JUBILEE HALL
Closing Reading with Patience Agbabi, Fiona Benson and Roger Robinson 
In this thrilling headline slot to close the festival, we bring you not two, but three award-winning poets, each with their own unique style and performance. The perfect way to round off your weekend.  
 

 
Event 24 Party
SUN 16.00 - 17.00 
Closing Tea Party JUBILEE HALL
Please join us for tea and cake, and a chance to chat, reflect and celebrate as we reach the end of the weekend. Tea will be freely available and Silva Kitchen's famous cakes will also be available for purchase. 
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WORKSHOP WK14
SUN 17.00-18.30  COURTYARD GALLERY, BALLROOM ARTS
Ancestry, Intertextuality and  Ghosts with Richard Scott SOLD OUT

Join Richard Scott for this workshop in which we'll consider our poetic ancestors and how they might inspire – through intertextuality, idea and form – our writing now. We'll be doing writing exercises and discussing poems by Allen Ginsberg, Sarah Howe and Will Harris together as we become, in the words of Lucie Brock-Broido, ‘a freak of letters crossing down a rare / Path bleak with poplars’. ​​​