Final Torbay Festival of Poetry

 

All good things have to come to an end, and we at the Torbay Poetry Festival Committee felt the end had come when our application for Arts Council funding was refused. Over the past eighteen years the Arts Council has funded our Festival, enabling us to have grown from three days to the five-day celebrations we have held latterly. Many have described Torbay as the friendliest festival in Britain, and we thank the Arts Council for enabling us to achieve this enviable accolade progressively over the years. Many of our regulars were disappointed when we announced we were calling it a day, to the extent that one anonymous patron has now matched the lost Arts Council grant pound for pound that we may continue for one last glorious year! This, with pledges from many other Festival enthusiasts, has enabled us to present our final Festival this October. Thank you for your overwhelming support.

We have been able to listen to Poets’ Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke, well-known poets like Brian Patten, Roger McGough and Wendy Cope, much-loved poets like Danny Abse and Ken Smith, U.A. Fanthorpe and Rosie Bailey, prize-winning poets like Penelope Shuttle and Elaine Feinstein, young poets like Helen Mort and James Potts, too-many-to-mention other poets, many new to reading at festivals. Over the years we have always been open to introducing some lesser-known names to our audiences, and in this, our Farewell Festival will be no different.

With eighteen events featuring twenty poets we have a full weekend planned, starting this year on the Friday evening. The programme includes readings, workshops, and a presentation on the life and work of John Betjeman. There will be plenty of opportunity to meet, question and discuss their work with individual poets in the relaxed atmosphere of the Livermead Cliff Hotel. There is much variety in this year’s programme. The subject for the Festival Challenge will be announced at the Friday evening event. Visitors to the Festival enjoy the convivial atmosphere of the Hotel, with its stunning views of the sea and Torquay. Torbay is famous for sunshine … it now also has a reputation for fine poetry.

Join us for a final celebration.

ALL EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE LIVERMEAD CLIFF HOTEL, SEA FRONT, TORQUAY, TQ2 6RO.

Free car parking is available at the hotel and comprehensive disabled access.

 

FREE EVENTS

Festival Challenge – throughout the Weekend culminating in the Festival Challenge Reading on Sunday 20th October

FESTIVAL CHALLENGE
4.15pm – 4.45pm for reading poems
Results at approx. 5.45pm. FREE EVENT
Enter your poem on this year’s theme, then read it at our impromptu competition.
Entry fee one pound. The theme will be displayed on the Festival Notice Board.
Small prizes, but large applause!
Chaired by Danielle Hope / David Perman

 

ON THE SPOT
Sat – Sun 11.45am – 12.15pm
free event
While on the bookstall, John and Brenda
often wondered why a poet wrote a
particular poem. Now poets are going to
be ‘Put on the Spot’ and asked why, with no previous
knowledge of which poem will be chosen.

OPEN MIC
Sat – Sun 12.40pm – 1.40pm
Chair: Brenda Hutchings.
Poets limited to one six-minute slot per festival.
Put your name in the box on the Book Table
during the morning. At 11.30am nine names
will be drawn and put on a list with a time slot.
A limited menu of pre-ordered light lunches
will be served at tables in the Function Room.

 

Helpful information:

Stagecoach South West runs the bus services in Torbay.  Just to say that if your train arrives late at Newton Abbot and you miss your connection,  the bus service from outside the station runs every 10 minutes during the week and 15 minutes on Sunday right to the Livermead Cliff Hotel.  The journey is around 40 minutes. The journey by train is around 15 minutes to Torquay station plus a ten minute walk or taxi fare to the hotel.  Hope this information helps you to decide how to continue your journey if you have the misfortune to miss your connection.