Each festival is launched by a public figure with a connection to one of the festival’s themes or with an interest in poetry or the arts in general. The long-running In Conversation events focus on a single poet or writer and are an opportunity to encounter them in a more informal setting. Each event features a discussion of their life and writing – often focusing on one of the festival’s themes – and includes readings of a few poems – either the writer’s own or a selection of their personal favourites. The StAnza Lecture has been running since 2002 and has, over the years, sparked controversy, inspired reappraisals and highlighted new approaches. An innovation since 2008, Poetry Breakfasts offer a relaxed start to the day with a group of poets chatting about their poetry and the poetry scene with which they are familiar, finding some things in common, some differences, and reading one or two poems - an ideal introduction to the poets and their poetry.
