Three nationally-acclaimed poets will be taking to the stage at the Seckford Theatre in Woodbridge to inspire the next generation of Suffolk’s young writers.
Lemn Sissay MBE, Suffolk poet Rebecca Goss and Vanessa Kisuule will be hosting poetry evenings on November 1 and 2 from 7.30pm, as part of Woodbridge School’s Youth Poetry Festival.
Neil Tetley, Headteacher at Woodbridge School, said: “We are very excited to welcome three fantastic voices from the world of poetry to Suffolk as part of our Woodbridge Youth Poetry Festival this year. Poetry is a creative and expressive art, so we hope our Youth Poetry Festival will enthuse and inspire the next generation of young poets and writers locally.”
The poetry evenings are free for all students across Suffolk or £5 for non-students. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the Seckford Theatre box office on 01394 615042 or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/seckfordtheatre.
Manchester-born Lemn Sissay MBE is set to perform on Wednesday, November 1. Lemn is a renowned author of books, poetry and plays and he is a regular contributor on BBC Radio 4.
He was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to literature and an Honorary Doctorate at the University of Huddersfield, and he is also Chancellor of the University of Manchester.
On Thursday, November 2, Suffolk-based poet Rebecca Goss will be performing. After several years teaching creative writing at Liverpool John Moores University, Rebecca’s poems have appeared in many literary journals and anthologies, including The Poetry Book Society’s Next Generation Poets in 2014.
She was also the winner of the Poetry category award at The East Anglian Book Awards in 2013.
Also on November 2, Vanessa Kisuule will be returning to Woodbridge after her inspiring performance at the 2016 Woodbridge Youth Poetry Festival, and most recently at Woodbridge School’s annual Speech Day. Vanessa is a Bristol-based writer and performer who has performed at The Royal Albert Hall, British Library and Glastonbury Festival.
The Woodbridge Youth Poetry Festival welcomes schools from across Suffolk for interactive workshops, performances and poetry readings and culminates in the Woodbridge Young Poets Competition, due to be announced on November 1. Poetry readings by pupils will also continue at the Poetry in Aldeburgh Festival on November 3 to 5. To find out more about Woodbridge School visit www.woodbridgeschool.org.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here