Chatham will welcome a unique national cultural event this summer as the Southbank Centre’s mobile National Poetry Library arrives as part of the nationwide A Poet in Every Port tour.
The literary celebration will be making its way to Chatham Library on Friday, 26 June, thanks to Medway’s own David Dykes, who was chosen to be part of the Southbank Centre’s New Poets Collective initiative. Throughout the summer, the A Poet in Every Port tour will visit coastal areas across the UK joined by poets from each location who make up the collective – which aims to nurture and showcase emerging voices.
Medway Council is proud to support the visit, delivered in partnership with Estuary Festival, Medway Libraries and Wordsmithery, which will bring a full day of free poetry activities to Chatham.
Activities on the day will include school workshops, public drop-in sessions and an evening performance featuring celebrated poet and A Poet in Every Port ambassador, Roger McGough.
The mobile National Poetry Library is touring coastal locations across the United Kingdom, celebrating the voices, languages and dialects that shape Britain’s coastline. The project is led by the Southbank Centre’s National Poetry Library, the largest public collection of modern poetry in the world, as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary programme in 2026.
Inspired by the cultural legacy of the 1951 Festival of Britain, A Poet in Every Port supports local poets, communities and young people through workshops, mentoring and performance opportunities – placing poetry at the heart of everyday life.
Activities on Friday, 26 June will include:
- School workshops at Chatham Library, with pupils from Luton Primary School taking part in creative poetry sessions led by a professional poet educator.
- Public drop-in sessions at the mobile poetry library outside Chatham Library, open throughout the afternoon. Medway Council’s own pop-up library will also be set up – ready to welcome readers of all ages.
- An evening poetry celebration inside Chatham Library (7pm to 8.30pm), curated by David Dykes, featuring local poetry collectives and a headline performance from Roger McGough. Tickets are free but need to be booked.
The event will showcase a wide range of local and regional poets, including members of the Medway Youth Laureates, alongside established and emerging voices from across the Thames Estuary.
Flourishing creative scene
Cllr Nina Gurung, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and Leisure, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Mobile National Poetry Library to Chatham. Medway has a flourishing creative scene, and this project puts creativity right in the heart of our community, opening up poetry to young people, families and residents of all ages. Events like this, and our annual spoken word and poetry festival Medway River Lit, are so important as they allow emerging talent to be nurtured and for success to be celebrated.
“This is a fitting event to take place during the National Year of Reading, and by working with partners like the Southbank Centre and Estuary Festival we can help shine a spotlight on Medway’s rich cultural talent, and ensure our libraries continue to be vibrant, inspiring spaces for learning and creativity.”
Exciting and varied
David, who also runs the local poetry night Big Trouble, said: "I am so happy to have been chosen to be part of the Southbank Centre's New Poets Collective and help bring the A Poet in Every Port project to Medway. I have been living and working in Medway for almost a decade and from the start the poetry community was so welcoming to me, so I am grateful to have the opportunity to show off how exciting and varied the poetic side of Medway is to those who are still to encounter it."