The world’s poets are coming to London and to libraries across England – meet them, hear them and celebrate with them. The Poetry Parnasuss Festival kicks off at London’s Southbank Centre on Tuesday 26 June and is set to be the largest poetry festival ever staged in the UK, with over 100 free events, activities and workshops happening every day.
Catch Poetry Parnassus on tour in libraries
The "Poetry Parnassus UK Tour ":http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/poetry-parnassus/tour (1 – 14 July 2012) will see some of the world’s most exciting poets, rappers and spoken word artists take part in events across the nation.
We’ve been working with the Southbank Centre and Speaking Volumes to bring Poetry Parnassus to libraries. Check out the six library tour dates taking place around the country below to see where and when you can catch the Poetry Parnassus poets.
Wednesday 4 July
Poetry Parnassus at Worthing Library
Poets: Paul Dakeyo (Cameroon), appearing with previous Worthing Library poet-in-residence Dan Thompson
Venue: Lecture Hall, Worthing Library, Worthing
Date and time: 1pm on Wednesday 4 July
Poetry Parnassus at Birmingham Central Library
Poets: Rafeef Ziadah (Palestine), appearing with Birmingham poet laureate Jan Watts.
Venue: Birmingham Library Theatre, Birmingham
Date and time: Wednesday 4 July (time TBC)
Thursday 5 July
Poetry Parnassus at Kendal Library
Poets: Raúl Henaó (Colombia), Bewketu Seyoum (Ethiopia), appearing with local poet Andrew Forster
Venue: Kendal Library, Cumbria
Date and time: 7pm, Thursday 5 July
Established Colombian surrealist poet Raúl Henaó and young but talented Ethiopian poet Bewketu Seyoum will read poems in their original languages, alongside Andrew Forster in an event held in association with the Wordsworth Trust as well as Cumbria Libraries.
Friday 6 July
Poetry Parnassus with Portsmouth City Council
Poets: Ribka Sibhatu (Eritrea), appearing with Portsmouths poet laureate Sam Cox, and Young Poet Laureate Joe McQuilken
Venue: Menuhin Theatre, Portsmouth
Date and time: 7pm on Friday 6 July
Ribka Sibhatu’s writing draws mainly on Eritrean folk tales and cultural tradition, and her own experiences of her homeland, as well as focusing on the treatment of immigrants in her new homeland Italy. She reads and talks on the theme of ‘a sense of place’ alongside the city’s Poet Laureate and Young Poet Laureate.
Thursday 12 July
Poetry Parnassus with Nottingham Central Library
Poet: Abdullahi Botan Hassan (Somalia)
Venue: Nottingham Central Library
Date and time: 4pm on Thursday 12 July
A refugee now living in London, Abdullahi Botan Hassan runs a community café and an arts organisation teaching about Somali folk traditions as well as being a poet. He will read and talk about his refugee experience and how this affects his poetry with an audience targeted to the libraries English conversation group and community poetry groups.
Poetry Parnassus with Derbyshire County Council
Poets: TJ Dema (Botswana) appearing with River Wolton, Derbyshire’s previous poet laureate
Venue: Derbyshire Eco Centre, Wirksworth, Derbyshire
Date and time: 7pm on Thursday 12 July
