What is The Poetry Society of the Open University (OU Poets)?

OU Poets is a poetry society for Open University students and poetry lovers, known on its website as The Poetry Society of the Open University. It runs readings, launches and campus welcome events, and publishes society news at oupoets.org.uk. It is the right place to look if you want to follow the society's activities, find a local poetry event connected to its members, or understand what the group does before joining.

Who it serves

The society's community is built around OU students and members, with public events that also welcome local poetry lovers. Its own news items show three overlapping audiences:

• OU students — the society recruits at Open University welcome events and runs online introductions for newcomers.
• Members — poets who publish collections, give readings and take part in society activities.
• Local poetry audiences — events such as book launches and performances are open to the public, not just members.

What the society actually does

The site's news posts give a concrete picture of its activity rather than a general mission statement.

Events and readings

The society supports and publicises poetry events, often tied to members' work. Examples from the site include:

• A launch event for Wearing Silver Shoes, a collection by the late Hilary Mellon, held at the Bicycle Shop Café in Norwich, with free admission.
• A lunchtime poetry-and-jazz performance in Southend featuring poet Shephall Frost alongside member Adrian Green, whose collection Bluenote Time draws on his jazz listening and club-running in Essex.

Welcoming new students

The society actively recruits at the Open University's Milton Keynes campus during Welcome Week. At one Welcome Week it was represented by its Membership Secretary and an Open SU representative, and the chair hosted an online introduction with readings from several members. The site reports that these efforts pushed membership past 100 for the first time.

Member news and recognition

Posts celebrate members' publications, readings and legacies, which makes the site a useful record of what OU-connected poets are working on.

How to use the site

The website works mainly as a news and noticeboard page. To get value from it:

1. Scan the latest posts for upcoming events — each item names a date, venue and often whether admission is free.
2. Check the location before planning to attend; events are spread across places such as Norwich, Southend and Milton Keynes, and some are online.
3. Look for member names and book titles if you want to read the poetry being discussed.
4. Watch for welcome or introductory posts if you are a new OU student interested in joining.

What to keep in mind

• The site is a news feed, not a full events calendar, so upcoming dates appear inside individual posts rather than in one list.
• Event details such as free admission are stated per event; do not assume every gathering is free or open to the public.
• Membership numbers and activities described on the site reflect the society's own reporting at the time of posting.

If you are an OU student curious about poetry, or a local reader near one of its event venues, the site is the practical starting point for finding out what OU Poets is doing next.