The UK’s Poet Laureate Simon Armitage will be reading at the fourth Ripon Poetry Festival, which will return to the city from October 7-10.

The festival was founded in 2017 by three Ripon-based poets, Andy Croft, David McAndrew and Paul Mills.

Born in Marsden, West Yorkshire, Armitage has been the UK’s Poet Laureate since 2019. It is a government-appointed position that dates back to 1668. He is also a professor of poetry at the University of Leeds.

Mr Mills told the Stray Ferret they wanted to have a big name appear at the festival after it was cancelled last year due to covid. Previous speakers include renowned writers and poets Ian McMillan and Michael Rosen.

He said:

“We wanted to re-establish ourselves and rebound from the pandemic.”

Ripon venues that will be taking part in the festival will be announced at a later date.

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Mr Mills is a poet himself and will be reading from his latest collection, Nomad, which includes poems about human evolution.

He expects the covid lockdowns and isolation to emerge as themes at this year’s edition, which he said will feature several local poets.

He added:

“We want visitors to the festival to feel like they’ve had a really entertaining and enlivening experience.”

Organisers have launched a poetry competition, with the best entries on any subject published in a book that will be sold at the festival.

The deadline for entries is July 23 and poems can be submitted on any subject to submissions@riponpoetryfestival.co.uk.

The entry cost per poem is below:

Children: £1

11 to 16-year-olds: £2

Adults: £3 or £5 for two poems

Schools: £10 for 20 poems.