Inspire Poetry Festival 2026 - Cara Thompson: an evening of poetry and heritage in celebration of Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners

Join us on National Poetry Day for a special festival finale celebrating Nottingham’s green spaces, rich Caribbean heritage, and literary landscape!

The evening will begin with an opportunity to browse the exhibition featuring the experiences of six Caribbean gardeners of the Windrush generation captured by fellow garden-holder and author Colin Haynes, followed by a talk about his book Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners: Hungerhill Gardens, St. Ann’s Allotments.

After an interval, Nottingham City of Literature’s Nature Poet Laureate Cara Thompson will present a live poetry reading, including the first performance of The Giants (Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners Tribute Poem) commissioned by Inspire for the exhibition.

*Includes material from an English Heritage Open Days exhibition in 2005/6.

About Colin Haynes  

Colin Haynes first shared a garden on Hungerhill Gardens fifty years ago. He is a photographer, writer, archivist and community activist. He produced community papers from Chase Chat to East of the City, a photobook on Manila and the book Stories of Sneinton Market.  

About Cara Thompson  

Cara Thompson is a writer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Nottingham, UK.  Nottingham’s Nature Poet Laureate and Wasafiri’s Writer in Residence, Cara’s practice spans poetry, performance, textiles, sound, and oral history. A proud descendant of Jamaican migrants who came to Britain as part of the pioneering Windrush generation, her work explores the richness and complexities of Caribbean-British heritage, inviting audiences to reflect on shared histories, memory, and humanity.  

About Five Leaves Publications  

Five Leaves is a small publisher based in Nottingham, publishing 10-15 books a year. Their roots are radical and literary. These days their main areas of interest are social history, politics, poetry, Nottingham, London and cityscape. 

About Nottingham City of Literature 

Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature's mission is building better futures with words. We focus on young and emerging creatives, co-creating opportunities and events to nurture literary careers and work with educational institutions to enhance literacy skills, and strengthen connections with the community. We celebrate Nottingham's literary heritage and create new opportunities to highlight Nottingham as a leading destination for lovers of literature from around the world. 

Return to the Inspire Poetry Festival 2026 home page.