Our Launceston Poetry Festival will run from 1st-3rd May, open to everyone at venues across town, featuring poet and former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who will read his work, and also lead a service at St Thomas’s on Sunday 3rd May at 11.15am. The Festival programme will be hosted by Ella Frears, star of British poetry and a Cornish talent, with writer and BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Petroc Trelawny hosting the Sunday celebration.

We’re hosting three days of award-winning poetry, as well as schools and children’s free workshops, an open mic, community bands and choirs, free weaving and printing, a Town Crier event, street poetry, church celebration, and hosted walks. To book, visit causleytrust.org

This year, we had a record-breaking number of entries for our international and youth poetry competitions. We’ve been judging with help from leading poet Fiona Benson, and will be announcing winners at the Festival. Director Nikky said that reading the poetry was ‘exceptional – we were honoured to read work by such talented people.’

Charles Causley’s house, Cyprus Well has been busy with creatives responding to its unforgettable atmosphere, including Olga Owczarek, a textile specialist based at Krowji in Redruth, whose poetry-inspired tapestry will be for sale at the Festival to raise funds for the Trust’s work.

We’d also like to thank the Fenton Arts Trust, who has made it possible for us to offer residencies at Cyprus Well to an incredible group of emerging poets who will work with Creative Kernow, Guillemot Press, Cornwall Climate Care and Literacy Pirates to produce projects that bring joy and inspiration to community groups. Among them are Cornwall-based poets Lucy Beckley, Anna Chorlton, Chloe Eathorne, Lizzy Lister and Olive Mills. We will share their projects later in the year.