Further Resources

Tower Poetry Educational Resources

In 2021, Prof Peter McDonald produced a short series of Tower Poetry talks on particular poems that are often studied at A-Level. These resources are freely available on Tower Poetry’s YouTube channel.

Other Poetry Competitions

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

www.poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions

Poetry prize organised by the Poetry Society for writers aged 11-17.

Poetry by Heart

www.poetrybyheart.org.uk
A free national poetry recitation competition for 7-18 year olds at school in England, with a website of poetry collections and useful resources for students and teachers.

Magazines

The Gallery Press

www.gallerypress.com
Publishes poetry, drama and prose by some of Ireland’s leading contemporary writers.

Oxford Poetry

www.oxfordpoetry.co.uk
Published twice a year, Oxford Poetry is the oldest poetry magazine in the world.

The Poetry Kit

www.poetrykit.org
A comprehensive online resource for poets including listings of competitions, courses and events.

Arts Festivals

FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival

www.oxfordliteraryfestival.org/about
Held annually in spring, there are children and schools events as well as creative writing programmes.

Latitude

www.latitudefestival.com
Annual music festival with growing poetry events held in Suffolk.

Ledbury Poetry Festival

www.poetry-festival.co.uk
Annual ten-day poetry festival held in July in Herefordshire.

Lyra Festival

www.lyrafest.com

Bristol-based poetry festival running in the spring hosting a wide range of events, plus additional year round work in Bristol.

Verve Festival

www.vervepoetryfestival.com

Five-day leading poetry and spoken word festival hosted in Birmingham, featuring intensive workshops alongside readings, panels, and spoken word events. Delivers year round activity too.

Resources for Poets

Apples and Snakes

applesandsnakes.org/unlisted/

Performance poetry organisation. Runs 'Unlisted', a notice board of poetry events and opportunities.

Forward Arts Foundation

forwardartsfoundation.org

Organisers of National Poetry Day and the Forward Prizes for Poetry. Create themed poetry activities every National Poetry Day.

National Poetry Centre

nationalpoetrycentre.org.uk/about

The National Poetry Centre connects people of all cultures and backgrounds to poetry, and is a hub for events, archives and a library.

Sit Down and Write

www.seatup.com/blog/sit-down-and-write-poetry-resources
Tips for budding poets.

Young Poets Network

https://ypn.poetrysociety.org.uk/
The Poetry Society’s online platform for young poets up to the age of 25, including regular new challenges and a database of competitions and other opportunities.

Resources for Teachers

Centre for Literacy in Primary Education

clpe.org.uk

Providing free resources for teachers, including poetry resources.

English and Media Centre

www.englishandmedia.co.uk

Producing resources for teachers and students, including student magazines, and providing teacher CPD.

Manchester Poetry Library

https://www.mmu.ac.uk/poetry-library

A regional centre of poetry acting as a lending library, research space, and providing education.

National Association for the Teaching of English

www.nate.org.uk

NATE provides publications and training for teachers of English across all key stages.

National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE)

www.nawe.co.uk

Supports the development of creative writing of all genres and in all educational and community settings throughout the UK.

National Poetry Library

www.nationalpoetrylibrary.org.uk/
Housing the Arts Council Collection at South Bank Centre, London.

Poetry Archive

www.poetryarchive.org
The Poetry Archive is the world’s premier online collection of recordings of poets reading their work.

Poetry Book Society

www.poetrybooks.co.uk
Founded by T S Eliot in 1953, the PBS provides information, advice, and discounts on poetry books.

Poetry Class

www.poetryclass.net
A collection of learning resources from The Poetry Society.

Royal Society of Literature

rsliterature.org/join-in/engagement

The Royal Society of Literature is a writer-led organisation promoting the advancement of literature.

Shakespeare's Globe

www.shakespearesglobe.com/learn

Providing educational resources for schools and teacher CPD opportunities.

Stephen Spender Trust

www.stephen-spender.org/resources

The Stephen Spender Trust supports creative translation in schools.

Teachit

www.teachit.co.uk
An English teaching online site with almost 12,000 resources.

The English Association

englishassociation.ac.uk

The English Association connects individuals and organisations from all sectors of education and English studies.

Oxford's Poetry Scene

Christ Church, University of Oxford

www.chch.ox.ac.uk
Home of Tower Poetry.

University of Oxford

www.ox.ac.uk
Find poetry debates and the Professor of Poetry’s public lectures each term on the university's site.

Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre

www.brookes.ac.uk/poetry-centre

For research and discussion of issues surrounding twentieth and twenty-first Century poetry; to promote poetry in the local community and to encourage connections between poets, academics and readers of poetry. Home to ignitionpress.

Oxford Poetry Library

oxfordpoetrylibrary.com/

Grassroots local organisation running regular workshops, open mics, and reading groups alongside a free lending library of poetry.

Poetry at Keble

www.keble.ox.ac.uk/teaching-research/poetry-at-keble/

Teaching and research from Keble College, including a series of termly, open to the public talks from prestigious poets.

Have You Read?

Tower Poetry celebrates poetry; and celebrating poetry means celebrating diversity. Poetic tradition is enormous, and capacious: it is a standing rebuke to the injustices and prejudices of the world. We've put together a short introductory selection of links to the lives and work of important poets who were or are people of colour, and we share them here, to show something of the resistant strength of poetry in the world. Happy discoveries!