Lyric Festival: A celebration of poetry and spoken word
Thursday 2nd May, 6pm / University Arms / Free.
Students from the University of Sheffield's Creative Writing MA course showcase their work in the convivial environment of the University Arms. A good chance to hear some high-calibre poetry and chat about opportunities at the University's creative writing faculty.
Tony Harrison.
Thursday 2nd May, 8pm / St George's / £6 (£3 concs).
Tony Harrison is one of Britain's best known and critically acclaimed poets. With a career that spans four decades, he is a stunning speaker and is also well regarded as a theatre poet. This is a unique opportunity to see him perform in an intimate space
The Poetry Business.
Friday 3rd May, 7pm / St George's / Free.
Perhaps the best free event of the festival, The Poetry Business showcase will feature readings from the likes of Ed Reiss, Kim Moore, Michael Laskey, and Mimi Khalvati, all of them with critically acclaimed collections under their belts.
Kate Tempest.
Friday 3rd May, 9pm / St George's / £6 (£3 concs).
Starting out at open mic nights in London, Kate Tempest has since gone on to perform alongside legends like John Cooper Clarke and Billy Bragg, as well as playing sold-out solo shows across the country with her honest, heartfelt contemporary poetry. Support from Sheffield-based acoustic guitarist and rapper Pro-VERB.
|Saturday 4th May, 7pm / St George's / Free.
Tishani Doshi is an Indian-born poet and dancer who has had great success in both fields. Following on from her debut collection Countries of the Body, at this event she will read from her second collection Everything Begins Elsewhere. Priscila Uppal is a Canadian poet and author of South Asian descent whose first collection How to Draw Blood from a Stone was released when she was just 23 years of age.
The Best of Contemporary British Poetry.
Saturday 4th May, 8pm / St George's / £6 (£3 concs).
A showcase of three talented, award-winning contemporary poets - Paul Farley, Lavinia Greenlaw and Jacob Polley - who have collaborated across several mediums, including film, installation, radio and theatre. All three will read works written for other media, as well as poems from their most recent collections.
Britten and Auden.
Sunday 5th May, 7.30pm / Firth Hall / £8.50 (£6/£3 concs).
Benjamin Britten and W.H. Auden met in 1935 and soon began collaborating together, with the former providing a soundtrack to the latter's texts. This event will see students from the Department of Music perform Britten's music, with readings of Auden's poetry by Simon Armitage and analysis by musicologist Dr Kate Kennedy. It will also include the premiere of a new song cycle of Armitage's poems by Department of Music composers.
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