WIRRAL Poetry Festival returns to Port Sunlight next month, promising a weekend of live activities in and around the village.

Headline acts John Hegley and Costa Prize-winning poet Hannah Lowe will be appearing at the Bridge Inn where there will also be a slam and various other events during the festival, taking place from October 6-8.

Many events are free including some activities for children.

Once again the organisers have partnered with the Lady Lever Art Gallery for another, poetry and art tour, plus the Poetry Groups’ showcase and a showing of this year’s Poetry Video Anthology.

People can hone their skills and even develop some new ones at the workshops that will include Jane Thomas taking us on another creative walk around the village.

This year’s programme includes some pre-launch event led by partner organisations such as Wirral Libraries and First Thursday on October 5 - National Poetry Day.

For the first time, local groups will be performing 'On the Green” next to the Port Sunlight Museum where refreshments will be available throughout the weekend.

The Wirral Poetry Festival grew from the Festival of Firsts which was inaugurated in 2011 following an idea by Hoylake-based writer and performer John Gorman, who was a member of 1960s band The Scaffold and presenter on 70s children’s show Tiswas.

Inspired by John himself, poetry was always an important feature of the Festival of Firsts and under the guidance of Judy Ugonna it finally became its own standalone festival in 2019. 

When the pandemic hit the following year, the poetry planning team quickly began delivering regular online poetry events that attracted people from all over the world.  Behind the closed doors imposed by Covid restrictions, the Poetry Festival found an opening to wider audiences than it could ever have imagined. 

A spokesperson for the organisers said: "Last year’s festival attracted poets from far and wide and we hope that we can once again welcome visitors to the region as well as those who live locally.

"This is truly a local festival with an international reach!"

For full details and to book click here