The British Library has hosted many poetry readings and within its Events programme. Poets who have read include: Simon Armitage; Patricia Beer; John Burnside; Brian Catling; Douglas Dunn; Carol Ann Duffy; James Fenton; Seamus Heaney; and Don Paterson. We currently also host the Josephine Hart Poetry Hour.
Poetry is often featured in our exhibitions, with manuscripts of Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, Wilfred Owen's "Anthem for Doomed Youth" and other literary manuscripts on display in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery: Treasures of the British Library..
Poetry libraries and information services
General Libraries with Poetry Collections
Poetry libraries and information services
| The Little Magazines, Alternative Press and Poetry Store Collections The Library Tel: +44 (0)20 7380 7796 | Extensive holdings from mid-1960s of U.K little magazines, small press and underground publications in particular, and large but less comprehensive holdings of U.S. publications. There is also a selection of magazines and books from the Commonwealth, Europe and other countries and a small collection of reference material either about little magazine and small press activities or of a more general critical or background nature. The library currently subscribes to around 200 little magazine titles. Over 3500 little magazine and alternative press titles are held in all. | |
| The Poetry Library Level 5 | A twentieth century poetry lending collection and a wide range of current poetry magazines on open display. Also produces updated lists of current UK poetry publishers and little magazines. The Poetry Library website includes a lost quotation discussion group, and digitised poetry magazines. | |
| The Poetry Society 22 Betterton Street Tel: +44 (0)20 7420 9880 | A membership organisation and not a Library. Publishes Poetry Review, Poetry News, and sponsors various poetry campaigns. | |
| The Scottish Poetry Library Scottish Poetry Library Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876 | The emphasis is on Twentieth and Twenty-first century poetry written in Scotland, in Scots, Gaelic and English. Older Scottish poetry is also to be found, and contemporary works from almost every part of the world. |
General libraries with poetry collections
Many institutions have book and manuscript collections associated with the poetry of the British Isles, including:
- The National Library of Wales
- The Basil Bunting Archive
- The National Library of Scotland
- The Eric Mottram Collection at King's College London
- The Trinity College Dublin
Poetry websites
Apart from the sites associated with the organisations listed above, websites concerned with British poetry include:
| Archive of the Now | "Innovative contemporary poetry being written or performed in Britain." Part of the Brunel Centre for Contemporary Writing, Brunel University. |
| Arvon Foundation | Creative writing courses, including poetry, with centres in Devon, the Highlands of Scotland, Shropshire and West Yorkshire. |
| British Electronic Poetry Centre | "A reference guide to the work of contemporary British poets from the parallel tradition." Intended to provide information on poets and their publications, and audio files to accompany examples of their work. With a particular emphasis on the history, theory and practice of poetry performance. Devised by Bill Griffiths. |
| Electronic Poetry Center | State University of New York at Buffalo site which "makes available a wide range of resources centered on digital and contemporary formally innovative poetries, new media writing, and literary programming." Includes pages on and links to many British poets |
| Fine Presses [British Library web page] | Information on British fine presses, many of which publish poetry |
| Little magazines [British Library website] | |
| Lollipop | Gives details of British small presses and selections of their publications, including many poetry presses |
| Organisations of Interest to Poets | Compiled by Peter Finch |
| Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre | Research and discussion related to modern poetry, and a weekly poem e-mail service |
| PoetCasting | Audio podcasts of a range of UK poets |
| The Poetry Archive | Online collection of poets reading their own work |
| The Poetry Kit | Includes a regularly updated events guide |
| Poetry magazines | Full text digitised poetry magazines |
| Poetry School | Creative writing classes and tuition |
| Ubu web | Visual, concrete, and sound poetry |
