The Newcastle Poetry Festival (NPF) brings poets to Newcastle from all over the world to read, run workshops, and share conversations about poetry.

Created with our regular collaborators and supporters, Bloodaxe Books and the Poetry Book Society, our annual festival is a highlight of the national poetry calendar.

Our website is a space for you to find out about poetry readings and events in the region, read reviews of the latest poetry collections, and watch films from the NPF’s extensive archive of past readings.

Planning is now underway for the 2026 festival. It is taking place on the 2nd and 3rd of October, at St Mary’s Heritage Centre, Gateshead. Our theme is ‘Re-inventing North’.

Please check back for our provisional programme or follow us on Instagram.

We are delighted to share news of poetry events happening in our region throughout the year. If you have a poetry event that you would like to advertise, please share the details with us using our contact form at the bottom of the page.

Imtiaz Dharker, FRSL and NPF Trustee, reading at the 2023 Festival