Join us for an inspiring poetry reading with Fiona Benson and John Wedgwood Clark
Join Devon-based writers John Wedgwood Clarke and Fiona Benson for an inspiring evening of poetry. Reading from their own work, John and Fiona will present poems that address climate change and the environment, conflict, myth, and the intimacies of family life. There will be an opportunity for discussion and questions at the end.
Fiona Benson's collections are Bright Travellers, Vertigo & Ghost, and Ephemeron, all of which were published by Cape Poetry and shortlisted for the T S Eliot prize. Her books have received many awards, including the Forward Prize, the Seamus Heaney Prize and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. She is currently working on a fourth collection Midden Witch, and a poetry script in collaboration with the Belgian choreographer Wim Vanderkeybus called Infamous Offspring, which plays with the idea of the Greek gods as a dysfunctional family. She lives in mid-Devon with her husband and their two daughters.
John Wedgwood Clarke has published three collections of poems, Ghost Pot (2013), Landfill (2017) and Boy Thing (2023). He is an Associate Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Exeter, and regularly works on collaborative interdisciplinary projects, most recently, Red River: Listening to a Polluted www.redriverpoetry.com. TV credits as presenter and researcher for BBC Four include: Cornwall's Red River and Through the Lens of Larkin.
Cost: Free
Accessibility Statement: Wheelchair access
The main entrance to the DEI, (facing the Cathedral), has double doors, and is accessible for most wheelchairs. From this entrance there is level access to the foyer, and to the inner and outer libraries. We apologise for the current lack of lift access to the South Range rooms on the second floor.
Please note that from Monday 5th June we will be unable to offer parking as the building work for our Next Chapter project commences. This work will allow us to be more accessible in the future. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for bearing with us during this phase of transition. Information on nearby parking at the Princesshay Shopping Centre can be found here
Toilets
There are toilets on site, though the nearest fully accessible Changing Places toilet can be found in the Princesshay Shopping Centre, at the back of Nationwide. More information about these facilities can be found on the Princesshay website here
Defibrillators
Our nearest public access defibrillators can be found just inside the main entrance of the Guildhall Shopping Centre, or on Bampfylde Lane in the Princesshay Shopping Centre, to the left of Chandos Deli.
Sensory information
The library is usually a quiet space, though can be louder during events. A timetable for events can be found on the website. If you require a quieter space, please ask a member of staff. There is likely to be additional noise during our current building works.
If sounded, the fire alarm makes a repeated sound of two tones, and flashing lights will go off in the reading room and the toilets. On an ordinary day, ringing phones and door buzzers might also be heard.
Lighting is soft throughout the building, and may be low in certain areas.
Assistance dogs are welcome, and staff will be happy to provide water for your dog.