Morecambe Poetry Festival 2024 at various venues

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

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Morecambe Poetry Festival

20-22 September 2024

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Two men stand at railings with blue sky behind. Both are wearing sunglasses and one is leaning forward with his head under the top railing and laughing.
Henry Normal and Lemn Sissay. Photo by Richard Davis, courtesy Morecambe Poetry Festival
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Our Tourist Telescope is set on the coast – more specifically, Morecambe Poetry Festival, back for a third year with an impressive line-up now spread over two venues: the wonderful Winter Gardens and upstairs at The King’s Arms.

Setting the tone for the weekend, the Friday-night headliners are comedy folk music poet Mike Harding plus festival friend Henry Normal, regularly published by Salford’s Flapjack Press. Also just out with Flapjack, comedy actor, writer and impressionist Alistair McGowan will be taking to the stage on Saturday night, as will Sunday Times bestselling poet Donna Ashworth. Donna is also judge of the first-ever Morecambe Poetry Festival competition, with winners invited to read over the weekend and their submissions included in this year’s festival anthology. The festival comes to a close on Sunday with performances from both “national treasure” Pam Ayres and “literary institution” Lemn Sissay.

Other performers include Manchester scene regular potty-mouthed Thick Richard as well as the award-winning Jamaican-British poet Raymond Antrobus MBE FRSL. On the new second stage you can expect to find poets as wide ranging as Manchester’s Tony Walsh and Poet Laureate for the City of Wolverhampton 2020-22 Emma Purshouse, plus Atilla the Stockbroker, Kate Fox, Helen Ivory, Martin Figura, Steve Pottinger, Ollie Sykes and Chris Lynam. More are due to be confirmed, so keep an eye on the festival’s social channels.

This year, for the first time, the BBC will be on site, bringing two of its leading Radio 4 spoken word and performance shows to the festival. Loose Ends will take place Friday 20 September at 6pm and The Verb presented by Ian McMillan – described by former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy as “world-class – one of today’s greatest poetry performers” – will take place on Saturday 21 September 5.45pm to 7pm.

There will also be open mic sessions allowing new and emerging poets the chance to try out new material plus free poetry writing workshops led by Big White Shed. Shows and workshops aimed at younger audiences will be running up until 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, with tickets for these capped at £10 plus booking fee.

Morecambe Poetry Festival is supported by Waterstones, TS Eliot Foundation, Morecambe Town Council, Eden Project Communities, Wordsworth Grasmere and the Arts Council England.

Where to go near Morecambe Poetry Festival 2024 at various venues

Winter Gardens Theatre Morecambe
Morecambe
Event venue
Winter Gardens Theatre

Formerly the Victoria Pavillion Concert Hall and Variety Theatre, opened in 1897, the Winter Gardens theatre’s stage has hosted the likes of Dame Julie Andrews and The Who. The stunning interior is being slowly restored.

Morecambe
Tourist Attraction
SHIP
at Half Moon Bay

A striking Corten steel sculpture by artist Anna Gillespie celebrating Morecambe’s maritime heritage. Outdoors, and perfect for walkers.

The Bay Cycle Way is a perfect introduction to long-distance cycling. Morecambe Bay is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the UK.
Morecambe
Tourist Attraction
Bay Cycle Way

The Bay Cycle Way is a perfect introduction to long-distance cycling, and passes through some of the UK’s most beautiful coastline.

Lancashire
Music venue
The Platform

Music, comedy, dance, drama and children’s shows in an Edwardian railway station, opposite The Midland Hotel.

Morecambe
Morecambe Bay

A significant natural landmark along the west coast, Morecambe Bay is home to an open-water swimming group who have over 2000 members.

White Elephant Gallery, Morecambe
Morecambe
Gallery
White Elephant Gallery

White Elephant gallery is a radical art space that has set out to bring cutting-edge contemporary art to the seaside town of Morecambe.

What's on: Literature

Roy Macfarlane
LiteratureManchester
Roy Macfarlane at Manchester Poetry Library

As part of the Poetry Reading Series at Manchester Poetry Library, Canal Laureate Roy Macfarlane will be in conversation with the series curator and award-winning poet Helen Mort.

Free entry
Luke Samuel Yates
LiteratureLeeds
Chemistry at The Chemic

Leeds live literature regular Chemistry offers an exciting mix of open mic acts and invited poets – this month the headliners are Helen Ivory and Luke Samuel Yates.

Free entry
An image of Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a black middle-aged woman with long hair in a red top, looking directly at the camera with a warm expression. Look for a book
Until
FamiliesManchester
Look for a Book

Kick off Festival of Libraries 2025 with out-of-this-world book searching across Manchester.

Free entry
Tom Branfoot. Photo Eleanor Hall, Museum of the Home
LiteratureWest Yorkshire
Poetry at the Dusty Miller

Poetry at the Dusty Miller is a now regular night with invited readers, organised by Carcanet-published Carola Luther and Judith Willson in the Coiners’ Room in the Mytholmroyd pub.

Free entry

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