last update:       select Venue: Almassera Vella Cambridge CB1 CamdenAndLumen Ceridwen Centre, Carmarthenshire Falmouth Poetry Group Farrago Slam Fire-in-the-Head Fourth Friday Grey Hen Press Joy of Six Katherine Gallagher Kent & Sussex Poetry Society Lovers of Poetry Pascale Petit Poetry Cafe Poetry Kit Poetry London Poetry School Rhythm & Muse SalisburyHouse South Bank StAnza The Troubadour Tongues&Grooves zafusy

venues (alphabetical) :     

Almàssera Vella, Carrer de la Mare de Deu del Miracle 56, Relleu 03578, Alicante, SPAIN, x 34 966 856003. www.oldolivepress.com .  Contact Christopher & Marisa North to check availability of places. Courses are £695 (£625 where Christopher North is tutor) all inclusive (save flights/rail to Alicante and insurances). Superb Mediterranean cuisine, private rooms (most with private facilities), 3000 book library, WiFi, swimming pool, rustic village with 10th century castle. Supplements: 60 GBP pp for valley view rooms and 40 GBP for en suite room in Almàssera. 10% discount for participants sharing a room – 15% for non-participating partners sharing. 5% discount for third time plus returners. 175 GBP deposit to secure place (cheques to ‘Pemberton North SL’ / Paypal / Transfer). Deposits or balances acceptable in Sterling, Euros or US Dollars. Also self-catered RETREATS available access to library, WFI, grounds, pool

Ambit at the Bath House, Dean Street, Soho, W1. 6:30 for 7p.m. £5/£4 conc.

Ambit at the Bountiful Cow, The Bountiful Cow pub, 51 Eagle Street, London WC1R.  Holborn Tube.  7.00pm for 7:30 start.  £5/£4(conc), full bar upstairs & excellent food available (not just steak!). Up to 10 readers from the floor welcome to read a poem after the interval! http://www.ambitmagazine.co.uk/Events.htm

Ambit at the Owl Bookshop, 209 Kentish Town Road, London NW5.   Starts 6:30pm for 7.  Free entry.    (Turn left out of Kentish Town tube, walk for 5 mintues, the Owl is on the right.   Buses: C2, 134, 214 and 46.  Metered parking, free from 6.30pm)

ArtsBar Café, Wellington Road, Wokingham, RG40 2AN.  2 mins Wokingham Station or free parking for cars.  Tel 01189 775886.  Entry £4.

The Barrel House, 59-59a High Street, Totnes. Start 8:00pm.  Food from 7:00pm.  £5/£3(conc) (more info at poetrycan)

Beehive Poets, New Beehive Inn, Westgate Bradford BD1.  Mondays, 8:30pm.  Read-arounds-1st & 3rd Monday & Bradford Poetry Workshops - Poetry Society and Stanza members most welcome. Details from Bruce Barnes by e-mail or tel: 01274 223665.   Info on readings & read-arounds, John Sugden by e-mail

Bloomsbury Oxfam,  Oxfam Books, 12 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3Q.   7:00pm.  Admission free.  Contact Alison Jackson to reserve seats.   Tel: 020 7637 4610.

Blue Bus:  The upstairs room at The Lamb, 94 Lamb's Conduit Street, London WC1, from 7.30.   Admissions: £5 / £3 (concessions). Nearest tubes: Russell Square; Holborn.

Bluebell Bookshop, Angel Square, Penrith. Start, 7.30pm.  Free admission, refreshments available (for which, contributions welcome). For further information Tel The Bluebell Bookshop on: 01768 866 660

The Bull, The Bull Theatre, 68 High Street, Barnet.  Start 3.00p.m.  £4 / £3 (concessions)  Info: 020 8441 5010.

Camden Poetry Series.  Trinity United Reformed Church, 1 Buck Street, Camden Town, NW1 8JN.  Tube: Camden Town.   6:30 for 7:00pm  £4 / £3 (conc.). Wine.  Contact:  Ruth O'Callaghan 0208 392 1171.   Patron: Carol Ann Duffy. Proceeds to Cold Weather Shelter.  2010:  * Floor readers at this event are eligible for consideration for an anthology of poets from the floor - an opportunity to be published alongside major poets - leave a copy of your poem if you want to submit it.

CB1 Poetry at CB1 Cafe, 32 Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 2AD.  8:00pm prompt.  Doors have to be closed when an audience of 30 is reached.  £3 / £2     AND    CB1 Poetry at Michaelhouse, Michaelhouse Cafe, Trinity Street, Cambridge, CB2 1SU.    8:00pm; sign up at 7:45 for open mic.  £5 / £3     - more at:  www.cb1poetry.org.uk   

Ceridwen Centre, Drefach Felindre, nr Llandysul, SA44 5XE. Pre-book with Simone Mansell-Broome
01559 370517 or email email Ceridwen centre (workshops Carmarthenshire)

Choco-Latte, 38 Northfields Avenue, Northfields (Tube Northfields on Piccadilly Line). 7.30.  £4/£3.  Delicious pannini.  BYOB.

Crockatt & Powell Bookshop, 119-120 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AE.  nearest tubes Waterloo/Lambeth North.  Tel. 020 7928 0234.   Start 7pm. Entry £3.

Dead Good Poets Society, Regular Events. Third Room, The Everyman Bistro, Hope Street, Liverpool.  Start 8.30pm.  Guest nights:  £3/£2/£1.    Open Floor nights:  £1

East Finchley Poetry Writing Workshops, £20. Tel: (020) 8346 9528 for a booking form. Workshops are designed to encourage and celebrate each person’s creativity. The workshops provide the opportunity to experiment with a wide variety of forms in a supportive and constructive atmosphere. Suitable for those already writing and those who have a desire to write.

Liz Cantell Room, Ealing Town Hall, Uxbridge Road, Ealing, W5 2BY.  Start 10am. Entry £2.

Fast and Bulbous, Falmouth Festival of Literature and Arts, Start 8:30.  £6 entry.  01326 212300.  Contact Kirsten Whiting - Kirsten

Fourth Friday, the Poetry Café, 22 Betterton Street, London, WC2H 9BU. 8.00 £6/£5 (concessions). Covent Garden tube.  020 7420 9888.   Poetry Society   Website www.fourthfriday.co.uk   Tel: 020 8299 2767 Email: info@fourthfriday.co.uk

Lapidus, day workshop with Myra Schneider, Falmouth Hotel. 10:00a.m to 1:00.  Bookings: Victoria Field

Loose Muse, the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, London, WC2H 9BX.  Start 8pm.  Entry £5/£3(conc)

Lovers of Poetry, North London, 2nd Thursday of the month, run by Mira Mehta. "It is said that poetry consists exclusively of delight and is delectable with mood. This study group uses poetics (poetry theory) as the stimulus for exploring traditional and modern poetry. Understanding poetics enables the objective evaluation of poetic skill. A composition theme is suggested each time and participants share their work with the group."

Lumen Poetry Series, 88 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9RT.  Tubes: Russell Square, Kings Cross, St Pancras.  6:30 for 7:00pm  £4 / £3 (conc.). Wine.  Contact:  Ruth O'Callaghan 0208 392 1171. Patron: Carol Ann Duffy.  Proceeds to Cold Weather Shelter.  2010:  * Floor readers at this event are eligible for consideration for an anthology of poets from the floor - an opportunity to be published alongside major poets - leave a copy of your poem if you want to submit it.

The Lunchtime Reading, Manchester Central Library, Reception Room, 2nd Floor, Central Library, St. Peters Square.  1pm to 2pm.  Entry: Free.  Contact:  Libby Tempest, Cultural Services Manager, Manchester Library & Information Service, Central Library, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 5PD.  Tel: 0161-234-1981 or email Libby

The Measure - e-zine of poetry and prose, editor Rod Riesco.   The magazine will publish poetry, fiction, reviews and essays. It will be sent by email to all subscribers.  No subscription fee and no payment to contributors, just the pleasure of having their work read by an interested group of subscribers.  Full details (pdf) or contact Rod at Measure Magazine

More Poetry, at The Coffee Shop, 13 Leyden Street, London, E1. 5 mins from Liverpool St Stn. Cross Bishopsgate from main entrance, turn left, then right into Middlesex Street, 3rd left down Strype St, bear right into Leyden St. 7:15 for 7:45 pm. £1 admission. Your favourite coffee ground on the spot - + free drinks & open mic. Presenters: Ken Champion & Juli Jana.

Le Moulin , 50410 Villebaudon, France.  Tel: 0033 (0)233 592181.   e-mail  Kay Cotton and Sylvia Miles run a series of workshops, "Writing in Normandie", inviting tutors to run the courses.  They also have weeks available where a group can meet there for their own writing.   

Navasartian Centre, 223 Northfields Avenue, West Ealing, W13 9QU.  Tube: Northfields Picadilly Line (Turn Right out of tube and it’s about 150  m. on same side).   Start 7:30pm.  £4/£3 Concs.  Wine.

Oxfam Books & Music, 91 Marylebone High Street, W1.  (near Baker Street).  7:00pm  Free entry but £10 donation appreciated.  Let them know if you're coming:   Oxfam Marylebone

Pentameters, Pentameters Theatre, The Horseshoe (pub), 29 Heath Street, (entrance Oriel Place) Hampstead NW3. 1 min Hampstead tube, buses 46 & 268.     Start: 7:30 Tickets £8 (£5 concs).  Bookings:  02074 353648

Poetic Licence, in aid of (and periodically at!) The North London Hospice.  But mainly, upstairs at The Gatehouse, Highgate Village, N6.  £7 / £5(concs). 8:00pm.  Complimentary wine during the interval.

The Poetry Barn, New York Avenue / High Street, Huntington, NY 8:00 to 10:00pm

The Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9BX.  

The Poetry Café, Salisbury Arts Centre, Bedwin Street, Salisbury, SP1 3UT.   7:30 for 8pm.  £3.  e-mail  Tel:  01722 710944.  

The Poets' Cafe, South Street Arts Centre, 21 South Street, Reading,RG1 4QU.  3rd Friday of every month. Open mic and Guest Poet.  £6/£4(conc & readers).  Contact 01189 606060. www.afharrold.co.uk   Doors 8:00pm for 8:30, sign up early for open mic.

The Poetry Club, Anatolian Café Ev, Ev Delicatessen, 97-99 Isabella Street, Waterloo, SE1 8DA. 020 762 061 91.  7:00 pm.  Tube:  Southwark.  £5, £4, £3 to suit pocket.   The Poetry Club readings celebrate everything that is essential to The Poetry School: inspiring poetry, an inclusive community and a commitment to and love of the art.

Poetry in the Crypt, St Mary's Church, Upper Street, Islington, N1. 7 pm  Admission £4/£3 conc.   Poets from the floor welcome.  Cakes & Coffee. All proceeds will support Hospice Care in Kenya. Info:  0207 354 0433

Poetry in the House , Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, Waterlow Park, London N6 5HG. Tel: 020 8348 8716.  8 to 10pm. £5/£3 concessions  

Poetry in Palmers Green, St John's Church, corner of Green Lanes/Bourne Hill. £4 / £3 (conc). Start 7:30pm.  Parking nearby.  Wood Green tube or 10 mins from Palmers Green BR station. Contacts: Katherine Gallagher  e-mail or Tel:  02088 811418; Myra Schneider  e-mail or Tel:  02088 861329.

Poetry London , at Foyles, more and reserve a place: email Foyles

The Poetry Parlour, Crockatt & Powell Bookshop, 119-120 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AE.  nearest tubes Waterloo/Lambeth North.  Tel. 020 7928 0234.  Second Tuesday of each month. Start 7pm. Entry £3.

Poets for Peace, Housemans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, King’s Cross, N1.  Start: 6.30pm.  Free entry, donations welcome.

Poetry Society, Kent North West Stanza meeting (visitors welcome).   3rd Tuesdays:  Feb to Jul and Nov.  Oct on National Poetry Day. 8:00pm. The Two Doves, 37 Oakley Road, Bromley Common, BR2 8HD  (bring a poem, can be your own, if you have one you'd like included in the discussion). Contact Stanza Rep:  Anne (email) or 07850 537489.

Poetry Wivenhoe, The Greyhound, High Stree, Wivenhoe.  8pm. £5 entry. Contact Chris Tanner 07840 745220.

Rack Press launch reading:   6.30 for 7:00 to 8.30pm. Swedenborg Hall, 20 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1.  (Entrance at side from Barter St. Nearest underground Holborn/ Tottenham Court Road)

Rhythm & Muse, The Ram Jam, 46 Richmond Road, Kingston, KT2 5EE. Every last Thursday of the month. 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. £6.00/£5.00 (concs). Enquiries to Alison Hill (Organiser): e-mail or tel 0208 977 4610

Salisbury House, Community Arts Centre, Bury Street West, Enfield, Middlesx, N9 9LA.  Starts 7:30pm with Poets from the Floor. Ends around 10pm and there is a refreshments interval.  £3.50/£2.50 (concessions).   website .  
Salisbury House Writing Workshops:  Contacts:  Allen Ashley - e-mail Tel 07813 263992; Angela J Elliott - e-mail Tel 07877 938612 ; June English - e-mail Tel 01304 380 866; Katherine Gallagher -  e-mail Tel 0208 881 1418. Tea/Coffee/Biscuits provided. Bring a packed lunch.

Salisbury Poetry Café Salisbury Arts Centre, St Edmund's Church, Bedwin Street, Salisbury.  7:30 for 8:00pm. e-mail or Box Office: 01722 321744

Sam's Place, 144 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. 7.30pm. Tickets £2

Small Presses, Big Poets, Border Poets presents 3 Flambard Press Poets, 8 p.m.  Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, Castle Street, Carlisle. Phone 01228 53478. Admission £3.00

Shortlands Poetry Circle, poetry appreciation group, Bromley.  Meets to share poetry by particular poets or on set topics - tea & coffee afterwards. Usually 2nd & 4th Tues of the month at Ripley Arts Centre, 24 Sundridge Avenue, Bromley, but see programme and please check venue with Membership Secretary on 0208 289 3265 or e-mail vice president.

Split the Lark. As of August 2009, Split the Lark has discontinued. If you want to contact the original organisers,  e-mail site editor

St Benet's Church, Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4ER (corner with White Lion Hill.  Nearest tube Blackfriars, take Mermaid Theatre exit). 7:00pm  £4 / £3 (conc.). Wine.  Contact:  Ruth O'Callaghan 0208 392 1171.   Proceeds to Cold Weather Shelter.  2009:  * Floor readers at this event are eligible for consideration for the forthcoming Cinnamon Press anthology - bring 2 copies of your poem if you want to submit it.

Tall Lighthouse:  7:30pm.  Poetry Café, Betterton St, Covent Garden.  Admission £4/£3 conc.   More info: Tall Lighthouse  lastwednesday@tall-lighthouse.co.uk

Thresholds, Writing retreat:  For short break guests at £200 for 4 nights, £60 per night full board,  or £55 per night bed & breakfast.  Info from 0845 345 7281 or email Ted

Tongues & Grooves , 8:00-10:30pm The Florence Arms , Southsea, Hants. £3 / £2 conc.    Tongues & Grooves Roadshow:   8:00-10:15pm, Havant Arts Centre, East Street. £3 / £2 conc.  Box office 02392 472700 web-site

Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, NW5 2RX.  Start 7.30pm. Contact: 020 7267 2751. £5/£3 according to pocket.   Nearest tube Kentish Town.

Trebah Gardens , near Falmouth.  Workshops and readings. Contacts:   Caroline Carver,  e-mail Caroline or Tel: 01326 374 334, or Penelope Shuttle,  e-mail Penelope or Tel: 01326 314 632.

Trereife House, Newlyn, Penzance.

The Troubadour:    Coffee House Poetry.  265 Old Brompton Rd, London SW5P.  Nearest Tube: Earls Court (District and Piccadilly)   Readings:  8 to 10 pm, tickets £7 concessions £6, season tickets 30% off.    Workshops:  Sundays 12 to 3:30pm, £28 (concs. £24), advance booking only.    Contact: Anne-Marie Fyfe, e-mail, P.O.Box 16210, London W4 1ZP. Tel: 020 8354 0660.

Truro Library Poetry Group, Truro Library, Union Place, Truro.  start 7:30pm, £2. Refreshments.

United Reformed Church, Fox Lane, Palmers Green, N13.  (Burford Hall, at the side of the church).  Charity poetry reading:  proceeds to Helen Rollason Charity and the North London Hospice.  Start 7:30pm.   Entry £6 / £3(conc).  Nearest station:  Palmers Green BR.  329 bus from Wood Green underground (to the Fox Pub Green Lanes).  2008:  * Floor readers at this event are eligible for consideration for Bluechrome's forthcoming anthology - bring 2 copies of your poem if you want to submit it.

The Walpole Old Chapel, Walpole, near Halesworth, Suffolk  (on the B1117, 2 miles SW of Halesworth).  Start 7:30pm.  Entry by donation.

Ware Poets:  Ware Arts Centre, Kibes Lane, Ware, Herts.   Regular poetry event, usually on the first Friday of the month (but sometimes the second Friday, so do check:   John Godfrey 01462 431098 or Frances Wilson 01992 503147).  Start 8:00p.m.   £4 / £2.50 (concessions)

Waterman's Arts Centre, 40 High Street, Brentford.  Start 8:00pm

Wonderful Words, Penzance Poetry Group, Penzance Library, Morrab Road, Penzance.   Start 7:30pm.   £2 entry. Refreshments.

WORDPLAY, a series of open Mic poetry events, Neo's Bookshop, Coffee Shop, Gallery, Cockermouth, Cumbria.  From Thurs, 25th May.  Start: 7.30pm, turn up early to book a place at the Mic or enjoy some food.  Contact Debbie at The Neo Gallery, 25-31Market Place, Cockermouth, Cumbria. Tel:01900-829-900 www.neo-bookshop.co.uk

Writers Inc, Writers of the Year Competition evening, The Barbican Library , Start 7:00p.m.  contact Writers Inc  for bookings

Zest! 3/2 at Alexander's Jazz theatrebar, Rufus Court, off Northgate St, Chester, CH1 2JG.  Food available.  Host: Leih Steggall.  Zest! team:  Gill McEvoy, Leih Steggall, Caroline Hawkridge.  Getting there:  Chester Station - 20 mins walk, City Council parking is free after 3pm.   Northgate:  look for Chez Jules then Abbey Green alleyway opposite, leading to Rufus Court - "The Creative Quarter".