Peter Gizzi & Denise Riley
Be swept away by the power of vulnerability, as two internationally celebrated poets, Peter Gizzi and Denise Riley, share readings and discuss the art of the elegy.
What happens if trauma isn’t something that consumes us but is instead transformed into lyric poetry?
Come along to explore an approach to poetry where vulnerability gives power, openness and the capacity to grow.
Gizzi reads from his TS Eliot Prize-winning collection Fierce Elegy, an astounding collection of poems in response to the loss of friends and family, while transforming that pain into light.
Riley won the 2012 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem with ‘A Part Song’, a profoundly moving poem documenting the loss and grief following the death of a son.
Following their live readings, Gizzi and Riley join each other in conversation.
Need to know
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
11 Jul 2026, 2pm
Standard entry
from £15 + £4 booking fee
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For your visit
This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre
The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
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The Purcell Room is an auditorium located within our Queen Elizabeth Hall.
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