This is what a Poetry Festival should be -- lively and serious, with a variety of events to exchange and celebrate poetry." Maurice Riordan

The Essex Poetry Festival has been running for over a decade, and this year is split into a separate afternoon and evening event. There will be readings from locally based poets and the chance to read your own poetry on stage.

When? September - October each year (- )

Who? 2016 - Christopher Reid, Danielle Hope, Victor Tapner, Clair Whitecliffe, David Canning, Olmo Lazarus, Alex Toms

Whee? Cramphorn Theatre, Chelmsford

How much? Check site

Festival Website: www.essex-poetry-festival.co.uk

Twitter? @EssexPoetryFest

2015 Martin Newell with The Hosepipe Band,

Rebecca Goss, Brendan Cleary,

Michael Laskey, Anne-Marie Fyfe, Cahal Dallat,
Jemma Borg, Tim Gardiner,

Maggie Freeman, Rik Livermore,

Candyce Lange, Derek Adams,

Tim Cunningham, Rachel Dalton,

Adrian Green, Cameron Hawke Smith,

Peter Kennedy, Mervyn Linford,

Rosie Sandler, John Steer, Dorothy Turner

Mosaic Poetry Group, Southend Poetry Group

In 2014 - Blake Morrison, Caroline Gilfillan, Tim Cunningham.
Essex poets - Frank Dullaghan, Rikki Livermore and Rosie Sandler

Previous festivals: Derek Adams, Denis Ahern, Judy Brown, Simon Blackman, Stuart Bowditch, Kayo Chingongi, Tim Cuningham, Annie Freud, Fen Song, Maggie Freeman, Susan Grindley, Adrian Green, Clare Harvey, Luke Kennard, Mervyn Linford, Andre Mangeot, Ray Morgan, Katrina Naomi, Jo Overfield, George Szirtes, Alex Smith, Cherryl Scott, Victor Tapner,John Hartley Williams, Kathryn Simmonds, Inua Ellams, Jeremy Over, Joanna Ezekiel, Sally Festing, Alex Brockhurst, Alan Buckley, Brendan Cleary, David Crystal