A WEEK-long arts festival marking 123 years since the birth of First World War poet Wilfred Owen will take place in Birkenhead later this month.

The 'Happy Birthday Wilfred Owen' festival will feature Owen-related arts and crafts and multimedia presentations.

It takes place at the Wilfred Owen Museum in Argyle Street from Tuesday, March 14 culminating on what would have been Wilfred's birthday, Friday March 18.

Among the highlights will be specially-recorded audio tributes from Radio Merseyside presenter Billy Butler, whilst noted actors Christopher Timothy and Nicholas Ball recite Owen's classic poems.

Also on display will be original sketches by renowned Cornwall artist and Owen expert Sally Ronchetti, ceramic interpretations of Wilfred's poems by Wirral's Janet Holmes, and the acclaimed WW1 drawings of Rebecca Grindley.

Music is represented by 'Exposure', a powerful new soundscape by Phil Edwards from Irby, which has been commissioned especially for the festival.

Each day there will be talks and readings by volunteers of The Wilfred Owen Story.

Born in Oswestry in 1893, Wilfred was brought up in Birkenhead and is recognised as one of the greatest voices of the First World War.

He also has a road named after him, on the former site of Birkenhead Institute, which is now a housing estate.

In 1915, he enlisted in the British Army and was killed, aged 25, on November 4, 1918, during the battle to cross the Sambre-Oise canal at Ors in Northern France.

At the time of his death he was virtually unknown. Only four of his poems were published during his lifetime.

But he had always been determined to be a poet and had experimented with verse from an early age.

Among his 62 poems are 1914, Dulce et decorum est and Anthem For Doomed Youth.

The exhibition will be open Tuesday to Friday from midday to 2pm. Admission is free.