Name: Simon Armitage - 12pm show
Start: 2026-02-14T12:00:00+00:00
Location: Toll Gavel United Church and Centre

Tickets £20 (first 20 early bird tickets £19)
Book here: https://stage4beverley.com/whats-on/simon-armitage-uks-poet-laureate/
Join us as UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage reads live on stage from a range of his poetry, including new work, as well as answering questions from the audience.
ABOUT SIMON ARMITAGE
Simon Armitage was born and grew up in West Yorkshire. He is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. He has published over a dozen poetry collections, including two illustrated Sunday Times bestsellers, 'Blossomise' and 'Dwell'. His latest major poetry book, 'New Cemetery', is out now.
Armitage also writes, records and performs with the band LYR and has received an Ivor Novello Award for his songwriting. His book, 'Never Good with Horses' features his song lyrics for the first time and celebrates his ear for the music of language.
He is the author of two novels and three non-fiction bestsellers: 'All Points North', 'Walking Home' and 'Walking Away'. A regular broadcaster, who also writes for television and radio, Armitage presented the popular BBC Radio 4 series 'The Poet Laureate has Gone to his Shed' and, more recently, 'My Poetry and Other Animals'. An award-winning dramatist, his plays 'The Last Days of Troy' and a contemporary spin on Hansel and Gretel were performed at Shakespeare's Globe.
Armitage is Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds. 'A Vertical Art' brings together the vibrant and engaging lectures from his tenure as Oxford Professor of Poetry (2015-2019).
He was appointed Poet Laureate in 2019.
Quotes:
'His verse is immediate, entertaining, engaged with the world’ - Independent on Sunday
'[His] caustic readings work splendidly’ - Independent
‘A poet whose work is ambitious, accomplished and complex, as well as popular’ - Sunday Telegraph
‘Armitage’s fluid poetics are pitch-perfect’ - New Statesman