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Showing results for
Literature & poetry

Overview Calendar
More info for Poetry Day!
A person in a lime green shirt browsing a selection of poetry books
Literature & poetry

Poetry Day!

View hidden gems and new acquisitions from the world’s largest public collection of modern poetry
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Tickets Free
More info for A Celebration of British Somali Poetry
A three-quarter portrait of Momtaza Mehri looking upward, wearing a black hijab and matching black linen jacket.
Literature & poetry

A Celebration of British Somali Poetry

Explore how diaspora Somali poets rework an ancient tradition with an eye on the concept of ‘home’
Purcell Room
More info for Orwell's England: 85 Years Later
British author and screenwriter Nikesh Shukla wearing a black shirt and leaning on the back of a chair
Literature & poetry

Orwell's England: 85 Years Later

Interrogate what Englishness means today with author Nikesh Shukla and a panel of guests
Royal Festival Hall
More info for Dua Lipa & Zadie Smith: White Teeth
Author Zadie Smith wearing hoop earrings and a red shirt
Literature & poetry

Dua Lipa & Zadie Smith: White Teeth

Dig in to this modern classic with the author herself, in conversation with Dua Lipa
Royal Festival Hall
More info for Words In, Words Out: A Night in With Koestler Arts
Five volumes of poetry from Koestler Voices
Literature & poetry

Words In, Words Out: A Night in With Koestler Arts

Hear the voices of writers inside the criminal justice system at an evening of readings and talks
Royal Festival Hall
More info for Poems on the Underground: 40th Anniversary
A man in a peaked cap reading a poem on a tube train
Literature & poetry

Poems on the Underground: 40th Anniversary

A feast of poetry and music celebrating 40 years of Transport for London’s public poetry programme
Purcell Room
More info for The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony
Five smiling award winners stand in a row holding blue booklets against a black, yellow, and blue curtain backdrop.
Literature & poetry

The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony

Join us for live readings and experience the best poetry published in the UK and Ireland this year
Queen Elizabeth Hall
More info for The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony: Live Stream
Audience members in the Southbank Centre\'s Queen Elizabeth Hall
Literature & poetry

The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony: Live Stream

Join us via live stream for some of the best poetry published in the UK and Ireland in the last year
Online Events
Tickets Free
More info for Dua Lipa & Mustafa: Nour
A black and white close-up portrait of a man looking over his shoulder while seated inside a vehicle, gripping a backpack strap.
Literature & poetry

Dua Lipa & Mustafa: Nour

Poetry that moves us is central to Mustafa’s collection Nour, and to this discussion with Dua Lipa
Royal Festival Hall
More info for Creative Future Writers' Day
People browse books at tables in a large, wide brutalist hall with exposed concrete pillars and warm wooden ceiling lights.
Literature & poetry

Creative Future Writers' Day

Writers, publishers and literary professionals share hints and tips in a day of talks
Purcell Room
Tickets Free
More info for Creative Future Writers' Day: Live Stream
Speakers seated onstage at Creative Future Writers Day
Literature & poetry

Creative Future Writers' Day: Live Stream

Tune in to the live stream as writers and literary professionals share tips in a day of talks
Online Events
Tickets Free
More info for Out-Spoken Masterclass: October
Group of people sat around a long table all writing onto paper
Literature & poetry

Out-Spoken Masterclass: October

Get your ideas flowing at a three-hour workshop giving you the chance to learn from leading poets
Royal Festival Hall

While you're with us

Jeppe Hein: Appearing Rooms
People enjoying the Jeppe Hein Fountain at the Southbank Centre

Jeppe Hein: Appearing Rooms

A summer favourite returns to our site with water fountains to splash around and cool down in.

Shopping
Wooden displays in the Southbank centre shop, featuring books, plushies, and colourful merchandise

Shopping

A vibrant range of inspiring books, homeware, prints, accessories and more.

Klaus Weber: Thinking Fountains
Two statues; a green human body with water spouting from its neck and another of human legs with water pouring down from above displayed outdoors

Thinking
Fountains

Water cascades and spouts over Klaus Weber’s bronze figures.

Modified Social Benches
Two children eating ice cream on a red cirrcular bench

Modified Social Benches

Benches that challenge the space and distance we place between one another.

William Pye's Zemran
A photograph showing Riverside Terrace at Southbank Centre, with the metal sculpture Zemran in the foreground, next to Queen Elizabeth Hall

William Pye's Zemran

Pye’s beautiful stainless steel sculpture sits overlooking the Thames.

Natura Nostra Forest
Bright sunlight bursts through green leaves with a lens flare, set against a blue sky and a textured concrete building.

Natura Nostra Forest

Our growing pocket forest creating a natural oasis.