What kinds of events does The Poetry Society of the Open University organize?

Updated

OU Poets runs a mix of in-person and online events: book launch celebrations, poetry-and-music performances, and welcome sessions for students that include readings and a read-around. The site's event posts give the date, venue and admission details for each, so you can decide whether to attend from the announcement itself. The events described below are drawn from the Society's own news posts, which are the most reliable place to confirm details before travelling.

Book launch celebrations

The Society publicises launches for members' collections, often with a local poetry group. One example is the launch of Wearing Silver Shoes, a collection by the late Hilary Mellon, a life member of OU Poets who died in December 2025.

  • Date and time: 7.30 p.m. on 5 November
  • Venue: Bicycle Shop Café, 17 St Benedict's Street, Norwich
  • Host: Norwich Poetry Group
  • Admission: Free
  • Who it's for: Poetry lovers in and around Norwich, and anyone who wants to honour Hilary's life and work

If you are considering a similar launch, the pattern to expect is an evening start, a café or small venue, and an open invitation rather than a ticketed event. Check the site post for the specific date, since the announcement page shows both a publication date and the event date.

Poetry and jazz performances

OU Poets members also appear in cross-genre events. In Southend-on-Sea, the Jazz Centre hosted a lunchtime performance on Thursday 20 August, 1pm to 2pm, featuring poet Shephall Frost alongside OUP member Adrian Green. Green is a Southend-based poet and musician whose collection Bluenote Time draws on years of listening to jazz in Essex, running a traditional jazz club in Southend, and helping establish the Jazz Centre (UK).

This kind of event suits you if you want poetry in a performance setting rather than a reading, and it is a useful model for members who work with musicians: a short lunchtime slot, a partner venue, and a programme built around a member's published collection.

Online introductions and read-arounds for students

The Society uses Welcome Week to reach new Open University students, combining a campus presence with an online session.

  • Campus stall: Membership Secretary Barbara Cumbers and Open SU rep Liz Beber represented the Society at the Milton Keynes campus Welcome Week Fayre, fielding interest from potential new members.
  • Online introduction: OUP Chair Karen Macfarlane hosted an online introduction to the Society, with readings from members Adrian Green, Rosie Douglas, Marian Reid, Seb Criado-Perez, Mariana Gardener and Karen Macfarlane.
  • Read-around: Almost fifty students attended, and two students shared poems in a final read-around.

The read-around is the part to note if you are new: it is a low-pressure way to share a poem in a session where members have already read. Following these two events, the Society passed a membership tally of 100 for the first time.

How to find out about an event and attend

Event details are posted on the Society's site as news items, each with a date, venue and admission note. To use them:

  1. Open the latest posts on oupoets.org.uk and look for the event date in the body text, not just the post date.
  2. Note the venue and start time; for the Norwich launch it was 7.30 p.m. at a café, and for Southend it was a 1pm–2pm lunchtime slot.
  3. Check whether admission is stated as free, as it was for the Norwich launch.
  4. For student-focused sessions, watch for Welcome Week announcements, which mix a campus stall with an online introduction.

The main snag is that a post can appear weeks before the event, so confirm the date and venue on the site before making travel plans, and treat any event without a posted venue or time as unconfirmed.