Seven years ago we set up a literary festival in Beverley to bring the best writers we could find to this beautiful part of the country. We wanted to celebrate the arts of writing and reading. We believed that talking about books allowed people to approach ideas and emotions that were not everyday topics of discussion but which shaped all our lives.

Since then the festival has grown, but our commitment to creating intimate events in which authors and readers of all ages can truly talk to each other remains constant.

Whether you want to find your own words, or find yourself transformed by the words of others, we hope you'll join us in the East Riding of Yorkshire for what looks like it's going to be an inspiring Beverley Literature Festival 09.

John Clarke
Festival Director

East Riding Poetry Day offers you the chance to spend a day, or part of the day, with some of the best poets currently writing. You'll have the chance to write poems of your own, listen to a lecture and hear some of the best poets around read their work.

The poets involved in the day include Carol Rumens, Christopher Reid, Fiona Sampson and Pat Borthwick.

John W. Clarke, Director of the Beverley Literature Festival and organiser of the poetry day says:

"To celebrate the award ceremony for our enormously successful East Riding Poetry Competition we thought we'd put together a day of top-quality poetry events so that aspiring writers and established poets could work together and read together. It's turned out better than I could have hoped. Fiona Sampson, poet and editor of Poetry Review will be giving a lecture and leading workshops alongside two of our finest poets: Christopher Reid and Carol Rumens. It should be a great day and if you've ever thought of giving poetry a try, start here."

East Riding Poetry Day is part of a season of literary events that will culminate in the Beverley Literature Festival 09, 1-11 October.

To to book tickets ring 01482 392706.

This event is organised by Wordquake, the literature development organisation run by East Riding Libraries and part-funded by Arts Council England Yorkshire.