Inspire Poetry Festival 2025

Inspire Poetry Festival is back for 2025!

This year's festival will run from Thursday 25 September - Thursday 2 October (National Poetry Day). 

With performances, workshops, film and an exhibition it’s set to be a week of wonderful words.

Join our Love Reading team for a chat about all things poetry. Hear them discuss this year's headliners, what they're looking forward to most about this year's festival, and also have a go at writing their own blackout poetry. 

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

Festival Fifteen

Discover this year’s Festival Fifteen – our carefully curated selection of poetry titles that are available for you to borrow for free from Inspire Libraries. You’re sure to find something to whet your appetite in our collection of new, contemporary and prize-winning poets, alongside some old favourites. 

eLibrary Poetry Special

Celebrate from home with our curated collection of poetry eBooks and eAudio. Visit BorrowBox to browse, reserve and borrow.

Your Next Good Read for Children

As a special edition for this year’s festival, we’re excited to share a selection of poetry titles for children, featured as part of our Your Next Good Read series.