Programme 2020

Readings, activities, workshops – here's a day of activities we put together to spotlight some of the most exciting developments in UK poetry. Want to browse the pages of our published Fair guide? Click here.

Daytime Readings
Brockway Room, Conway Hall 

A rolling series of 15-minute readings where publishers introduce their poets and philosophies to you. All readings are free – just dip in and out during the day. 

11:00 The Poetry Society’s young poets (Jack Cooper, Ruth Awalola, Fiyinfoluwa Timothy Oladipo) 

11:20 The Melos Press (Nicholas Murray, Michèle Roberts, William Palmer)

11.40 The Poetry Business (Tristram Fane Saunders, Sarah Fletcher)

12:00 Carcanet Press (Rowland Bagnall, Laura Scott)

12:20 The Poetry Translation Centre (Abigail Parry with Legna Rodriguez Iglesias’ poems)

12:40 Arenig Press (Simon Cockle, David Van-Cauter, John Gohorry)

13:00 Sad Press (Tom Betteridge, Caitlin Doherty, Emilia Weber) 

13:20 A Midsummer Night’s Press (Lawrence Schimel, Milan Šelj)

13:40 V.Press (Jinny Fisher, Natalie Linh Bolderston, Martin Zarrop)

14:00 Palewell Press (Sonia Jarema, Jane Spiro)

14:20 Ignition Press (Joanna Ingham, Alycia Pirmohamed)

14:40 Guillemot Press (Susie Campbell, Isabel Galleymore)
15:00 Pindrop Press (Liz Bahs, Marie Naughton, Lucy Wadham)

15:20 Green Bottle Press (Julian Stannard, Caroline Davies)

15:40 Poetry Review poets (Leo Boix, Meryl Pugh)


Free Verse Collaborative Poetry 'Zine with Ceri Amphlett
Conway Hall Stage, all day

As you browsed and bought, artist Ceri Amphlett was up on stage helping visitors make a 'zine of found poems made from cut up magazines, papers and other intriguing ephemera. We're making a digital version of the pages which we'll link to here soon.

Evening Readings
The Poetry Cafe, from 6.30pm

Eight minutes to wow the crowd. A selection of poets, publishers and wild-card guests demonstrated their tricks and flairs in the shortest of slots. 

Poets who read were Kate Noakes for Parthian Books, Joolz Sparkes & Hilaire for Holland Park Press, Edward Rogers and Margaret Hannigan Popp reading for the late Peter De Ville for Tuba Press, Jeremy Dixon & Math Jones for Arachne, Maarja Pärtna for The Emma Press, P B Hughes for Gatehouse Press, Denise Saul for Rack Press, Keith Bray and Poppy Dillon for London Poetry Books.

Workshops

The brains behind Bad Betty Press shared their top tips, ideas and case studies with people wanting to set up their own indie publishers; and Will Harris (a recent guest editor of The Poetry Review) led an editing mini-Masterclass.