About Ripon Poetry Festival

The Ripon Poetry Festival was started in 2016 by local poets and poetry-readers. The idea was to bring together poets of local, regional and national reputation for a varied, accessible; inclusive and entertaining week-end of poetry readings, performances, workshops and book-launches in the city. So far the festival has featured readings by well-known poets like Simon Armitage, Michael Rosen, Ian McMillan, Kate Fox, Jack Mapanje, Ian Parks, Paul Mills and Bob Beagrie; poetry workshops for children and grown-ups; readings by refugees (with the Ripon City of Sanctuary Group). The festival has organized two art-exhibitions of paintings by local artists inspired by the work of festival poets; two Wilfred Owen walks around the city; the showing at the Curzon cinema of a film-poem about Ripon in the First World War; and the world premiere of a chamber oratorio by Andy Croft and composer Tim Harrison. Each year we publish an anthology of poems submitted to the festival competition. The festival is now the largest poetry festival in Yorkshire.