A Poet in Every Port: Celebrating the Voices of the Coast
To mark our 75th anniversary, the Southbank Centre and the National Poetry Library are taking the celebration beyond our base on London’s South Bank and out across the UK. We will be visiting 11 coastal towns and cities in a specially designed mobile version of the National Poetry Library.
The Out There Festival is the Library's first stop, come explore an archive of poetry and a programme of readings and workshops.
Leading these celebrations is A Poet in Every Port, a major national project celebrating poetry, language, and local identity. Inspired by the spirit of the 1951 Festival of Britain—the nationwide celebration of arts and culture that led to the creation of the Southbank Centre—this project will take to the road during the summer of 2026. We will be visiting 11 coastal towns and cities in a specially designed mobile version of the National Poetry Library.
At the heart of the tour is the ‘Word Exchange’, championed by our project ambassador, Roger McGough. Through free public events, workshops, and poetry readings, we will be working hand in hand with regional partners and poets across the four nations. Together, we aim to nurture local voices, archive the unique dialects of the coast, and celebrate the incredible poetry projects already thriving in each of the communities we visit.
Fri 29 & Sat 30 May
| Time | Location | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 12noon - 6.30pm | St George's Park, Great Yarmouth (Pitch 3) | The mobile National Poetry Library is open throughout the day for everyone to drop in to see us. Adults and children are welcome to come and browse our selection of local poetry collections, have a look around the mobile library, and write your own Word Exchange poem. |
Fri 29 May
| Time | Location | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 2.50 - 3.30pm | St George's Park, Great Yarmouth (Pitch 3) | Hear poetry from local poets Jonny Croose, Lily Glenn, Jason Parr and Daisy Black and have a go at reading your poem on the mic! |
| 5.40 - 6pm | St George's Park, Great Yarmouth (Pitch 3) | Hear poetry from local poets and have a go at reading your poem on the mic! |
Sat 30 May
| Time | Location | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 10am - 12noon | St George's Park, Great Yarmouth (Pitch 3) | Free writing workshop with poet Jonny Croose for 10 - 14 year olds |
| 1.30 - 2.15pm | St George's Park, Great Yarmouth (Pitch 3) | Hear poetry from local poets Jonny Croose, Charlie Matthews, Rachel Hill, Ashley Ufot-Williams and James Ward and have a go at reading your poem on the mic! |
| 4.15 - 5pm | St George's Park, Great Yarmouth (Pitch 3) | Hear poetry from local poets and have a go at reading your poem on the mic! |
