WOW Laureates Night, Queen Elizabeth Hall

Think of the august role of ‘Poet Laureate’ and you may conjure up the image of a bespectacled, bearded bard, agonising over lost loves in a candle-lit garret.

But today’s Laureates are a world away from the traditional, fusty image of tortured poet - and they all happen to be female.

Now the Southbank Centre has brought them together, for the very first time, in a special reading that celebrates poetic diversity from all four corners of the UK. 

This one-off performance, commissioned for WOW - Women of The World, offers a unique chance to hear all five Poet Laureates of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

We highly recommend you join Carol Ann Duffy (England), Liz Lochhead (Scotland), Gillian Clarke (Wales), Paula Meehan (Ireland), and Sinead Morrisey (Northern Ireland) for what is guaranteed to be an enthralling, moving and irreverent evening of verse.

Just one of these poets reading from their work would make for an entertaining night, but all five together are sure to create a truly memorable experience.

Readers of Carol Ann Duffy’s work cannot fail to respond to her sparky, yet lyrical poems, tinged with a hint of transgression, while Gillian Clarke is a beautiful reader of her poetry which frequently reminds us of the fragility of the natural world.

Appointed Scots Makar, the National Poet for Scotland, in 2011, Liz Lochhead is loved for her outspokenness and humour, with the Scotsman describing her work as 'angry and tender by turns'.

Irelands’s Paula Meehan has won plaudits for her erotic and witty poetry, and is praised for granting a voice to the marginalised. And Sinead Morrisey has won a string of awards with her sharply honed poetry which is rich with redemptive qualities.

For an evening of beautiful wordplay from the mouths of some of the best poets writing today, we suggest you book tickets fast for what promises to be an unmissable celebration of Britain’s rich poetic heritage.