From Thursday, February 13 to Sunday, February 16, 2025, Verve Poetry Press presents VERVE Poetry Festival 2025, an annual, independent festival of poetry and spoken word. Events include readings, workshops and lectures, plus a poetry competition and a youth poets open mic event.
48 poets, 14 events, 16 workshops
Here’s just a small sample of the events on offer:
The Friday Night Headline Event, hosted by poet Helen Bowell, features Dzifa Benson reading from their long awaited debut full collection Monster (Bloodaxe, 2024); TS Eliot prize-winner Anthony Joseph with his recently released selected poems Precious & Impossible (Bloomsbury, 2024); and Richard Scott celebrating the February publication of his second full collection, That Broke into Shining Crystals (Faber, 2025).
On Saturday, February 15, novelist and poet Susannah Dickey gives the poetry performance lecture Why Not You?, an exploration of the challenges to romantic intimacy posed by the climate crisis.
Also on Saturday, February 15 is a workshop facilitated by poet, stand-up and presenter Laurie Bolger, Making the Ordinary Extraordinary, looking at writing inspired by the everyday within a close, relaxed group, featuring prompts and surprises.
Check out the Festival programme of events for the complete schedule of readings, lectures, workshops and participants.
“VERVE has cultivated a reputation for its dynamic and celebratory approach to programming poetry of every kind, whether it be raucous spoken word events, quiet poetry readings, studious workshops, immersive poetry, collaborative projects, or open mic.”
– VERVE Festival of Poetry & Spoken Word
Included among the Festival’s free events are the Poetry Society Young Poets Open Mic, featuring poets and spoken word artists age 25 or younger, on Saturday, February 15; and the poetry competition event on Sunday, February 16 – for which poets, including 11- to 17-year-olds this year, have submitted work for the 2025 anthology on the theme “Poets and Poetry”. Adjudicated (prior to the event) and hosted by poet, memoirist and critic Hannah Lowe, the competition event will showcase the winning and honourary-mentioned poets, plus 10 selections from entries submitted by 11- to 17-year-old poets.
This year’s Festival will be preceded by the fourth edition of the VERVE Birmingham Schools Slam Final on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. They’ve invited 12 local primary schools to bring a team of their best poets to this exciting competition, hosted and facilitated by Verve Poetry Press poet Giovanni ‘Spoz’ Esposito. For more details and to book tickets for this event (cost: £7), click on the link above.
In addition to their annual festival in February, VERVE also offers various poetry events all year round.
About Verve Poetry Press
Co-founded by Stuart Bartholomew and Amerah Saleh, and evolving from the VERVE Poetry Festival, Verve Poetry Press is an award-winning Birmingham, UK-based publisher dedicated to promoting and showcasing unnoticed and overlooked poetic talent in colourful and exciting ways. The press publishes the debut collections, and debut and between-collections pamphlets, of poets from around the United Kingdom and beyond – with a focus on voices that reflect their city and festival. Read more about them and their history here.
(Photo credits: Verve Poetry Press | VERVE Poetry Festival.)
Event details
Hosted by: Verve Poetry Press
Type of event: poetry & spoken word festival
Featured participants & events: See the full list of participating poets, hosts, lecturers, workshop facilitators & events here.
Dates & times: The Festival runs from Thursday, February 13 – Sunday, February 16, 2025. See the 2025 Programme page for specific event dates & times.
Duration: Various (please refer to the 2025 Programme page above)
Cost: Ticket and pass pricing includes concessions options (over 65s, students & other concessions).
- Individual tickets: Range from £8 (concessions £6) – £24.50 (concessions £18.50)
- Festival Pass – Includes entry to all events throughout the festival (excluding workshops and the Schools Slam Final on Wednesday, February 12): £60 (concessions £45)
- Saturday Pass – Includes entry to all events on Saturday, February 15 (excluding workshops): £35 (concessions £26)
- Sunday Pass – Includes entry to all events on Sunday, February 16 (excluding workshops): £20 (concessions £15)
- Online Pass – This pass gives you access to all streamed events, to watch live or enjoy for up to four weeks afterwards: £50 (concessions £35)
Location: Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham, B5 4TB, United Kingdom. Events also take place online.
Booking link: Book your passes here. For individual tickets, please click on the event link on the 2025 Programme page.
Bookshop link: Buy books from VERVE 2025 festival poets here.
Contact details: Verve Poetry Press; (+44) (0)7713236205, mail@vervepoetrypress.com, vervepoetrypress.com; Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre – tickets & information: (+44) (0)121 6893000
Content warning: Please refer to the individual event descriptions.
Accessibility: Info for the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre here.
Refund policy: Please contact the organizer.