FAMOUS faces may well be seen on Ledbury’s streets during this year’s poetry festival.
The Ledbury Poetry Festival enters its 15th year with a new logo and a line-up to bring in the crowds.
The programme, due out this week or early next week, will list Cerys Matthews, the former Catatonia lead singer, as one attraction, alongside actor Sam West, famous for playing the ill-fated Mr Bast during the film version of Howard’s End, and Juliet Stevenson, on screen as the posh and formidable Clem Allington in the BBC series The Village.
Also taking a bow will be former Labour Cabinet veteran Tony Benn who will be revealing his Desert Island Poems.
On the poetry front, the festival will be launched this year by the three Celtic Laureates, who are Liz Lochhead of Scotland, Gillian Clarke of Wales and Harry Clifton, the newly-appointed Ireland Professor of Poetry.
Poetry Festival director Chloe Garner said: “I don’t think it’s been done before, to bring them all together like this.”
The launch will take place in the Burgage Hall, on July 5 at 6pm. Another big name at the festival will be the popular poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who will be making his third visit to Ledbury.
New this year, apart from the logo, is the use of the Shell House Gallery in the Homend as the box office. Once the programme is out, the number to ring is 0845 4581743.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here