A New Lyrical Ballads: Contemporary Poets and Romanticism

Bristol was central to the birth of Romanticism. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge worked in the city, and the first edition of the Lyrical Ballads was published in Bristol.

 

In 2014 the Festival of Ideas with Bristol 2015 commissioned 23 leading British poets to write a new poem in the spirit of Romanticism. All 23 will be presented tonight by the poets and published for the first time. This is likely to be the largest and best gathering of contemporary poets reading new poetry in 2015 and an event not to be missed. The following poets are taking part:

Fleur Adcock, Patience Agbabi, Rachael Boast, John Burnside, Gillian Clarke, Paul Farley, Isabel Galleymore, Jen Hadfield, David Harsent, Kathleen Jamie, Nick Laird, Liz Lochhead, Jamie McKendrick, Ian McMillan, Andrew Motion, Sean O’Brien, Alice Oswald, Ruth Padel, Don Paterson, Jean Sprackland, Greta Stoddart, Michael Symmons Roberts, Adam Thorpe.

All are scheduled to appear in person with the exception of Jen Hadfield and Kathleen Jamie who will be providing a filmed contribution.

The new Lyrical Ballads project will be recorded by BBC Radio 4 and two half-hour documentary programmes will be broadcast later in the spring of 2015. Booking opens in January 2015.

The project is supported by Arts Council England and is part of the Bristol 2015 programme.

Time: 19.00 for 19.30-21.30 (with bar and interval)

How to book

Price: £12.00/ £10.00. Online booking now open below. Telephone and in person booking opens soon. Contact At-Bristol on: 0845 4586499. Refunds are only available if the event is cancelled.