Inspire Poetry Festival 2025

About

Inspire Poetry Festival

25 September - Thursday 2 October 2025 (National Poetry Day)
Various libraries
FREE - £10

Inspire's Poetry Festival is back for 2025! Join us from 25 September - Thursday 2 October to celebrate a week of wonderful words with performances, workshops, exhibitions and film screenings.

The programme across all venues can be viewed online, and the printed version is available to pick up at Inspire libraries, Five Leaves Bookshop and Nottingham Travel and Tourism Centre.

Featuring celebrated poetry stars, regional favourites and cutting-edge newcomers, and with styles ranging from the formal lyric to freestyle spoken word, this year’s festival promises a plethora of poetry delights at venues around the county.

Whether you’re already a poetry reader, writer, student or teacher, or a complete newcomer, join us this September to enjoy a week of wonderful words in the welcoming surroundings of your libraries.

All events at a glace...

Saturday 9 August - Saturday 20 September

Bad Ideas Club at Mansfield Central, Hucknall and Newark Libraries

Wednesday 3rd September – Saturday 11 October

Nuclear Bunker: A Creative Archive Exhibition at Arnold Library

Thursday 25 September

Poems While You Wait! at Eastwood Library      

Desert Island Poems with Imtiaz Dharker at West Bridgford Library

Poetry Bingo with Hexameter at Southwell Library                                  

Friday 26 September

Paper Crane Poets Showcase at Beeston Library                                  

Saturday 27 September

Small World Cinema: The Red Balloon (U) at Southwell Library   

Virtual Reality Library at Beeston Library                             

Black British Ballet Poetry Workshop at Worksop Library   

Black British Ballet Poetry Workshop at Worksop Library

Beyond the Spectrum: Poetry for Neurodivergent People at Beeston Library       

Bad Ideas Club: Poetry Showcase at Mansfield Central Library

Sunday 28 September

Whiching and Pitching: Planning your first poetry pamphlet at West Bridgford Library

Monday 29 September

The Social Model Writers at Beeston Library                       

Five Leaves new poetry launch: Tony Challis and Tara Singh at Beeston Library  

Tuesday 30 September

Folklore and Poetry with Andrew Graves at Mansfield Central Library 

Thursday 2 October (National Poetry Day)

Film Screening: Bright Star (PG) at Southwell Library

Chasing Sunlight: Poems of Play, Memory, and Growing Up with Romalyn Ante at West Bridgford Library                                    

Romalyn Ante Performance at West Bridgford Library