Torbay Festival of Poetry October 18th – 22nd.

Welcome to this year’s Torbay Festival of Poetry and introducing our exciting guest poets.

Many poets have come to Torbay to find inspiration and this year we are celebrating their
faith in the beautiful environment by introducing their poetry. As usual, our popular
Thursday evening party-style opening event is at the atmospheric Torre Abbey where the
Festival organiser will compère a wide-ranging poetic feast of lighthearted, funny and
serious poems by these poets. washed down with liquid refreshments.

‘The Hill’ on Saturday morning explores a geographical area in many forms, while Sunday
introduces a blind poet who brings along his personal ‘voice Hazel’ to read the poems he
hasn’t remembered. He’s hoping to meet other visually-impaired people from the Bay and
introduce them to Hazel.

We are honoured that two of Ireland’s beat-known poets are visiting the Festival this year,
John F. Deane and James Harpur, who will be reading poems from their new books on
Friday evening.

Matt Harvey will bring a light-hearted — though often serious — to the Festival Supper on
the Saturday evening, one of the best loved events of the Festival.

Anne- Marie Fyfe and Cahal Dallat will bring the flavour of the sea indoors on Sunday
evening with a range of poems, prose and music.

With twenty five events, poetry will fill the weekend with listening to readings, listening
to poets talking about their craft, meeting thepoets and, above all, asking questions of them.
There is much variety in this year’s programme.

Visitors to the Festival enjoy the convivial atmosphere of the Livermead Cliff Hotel, with its
stunning views of the sea and of Torquay. This is a long weekend which celebrates all
things poetic in the heart of beautiful Torbay: sea, palm trees, light … and inspiration!
The Festival’s aim of concentrating a packed schedule of events, mainly in one comfortable
venue, has established an inspiring literary weekend by the sea with the added advantage
of the beautiful English Riviera as a backdrop. Torbay is famous for sunshine … it also has a
reputation for poetry.

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THURSDAY AND MONDAY, 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.