England's '˜most poetic city' celebrates with new festival

Now the city is preparing to stage a new poetry festival which kicks off on National Poetry Day next month, with 50 events across four days.

Tickets for two free events - a performance by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time of songs and music written by Anthony Burgess to dramatise his cult novel A Clockwork Orange and a new piece of contemporary dance inspired by Imtiaz Dharker’s poem, This Tide of Humber - are available from next Monday.

Going on sale the same day on the City of Culture website are tickets for performances by Kate Tempest, John Cooper Clarke and folk duo The Unthanks.

At the heart of the four-day festival “Contains Strong Language” - which starts on September 28 - is 17 poets, who have been commissioned to create new pieces of work.

Creative director Sue Roberts said the festival, produced by BBC Radio, would be “accessible and relevant” for a wide audience. She said: “This festival is doing something new, providing a bridge between the spoken word and the printed page. We’ve got something for everyone – performances, workshops, picnics, films, concerts, and readings. Poets will be everywhere, including places you wouldn’t expect.”