Ver Poets

Entries are invited for the Ver Poets Open Competition 2026, judged by Vanessa Lampert, with prizes of £600, £300 and £100. Winning and selected poems will be published in the competition anthology. The closing date is 30th April. Details are on our website at: verpoets.wixsite.com/verpoets/com....

Just two weeks to go to the reading by Matthew Stewart and Mat Riches in St Albans Library on Saturday 28 February at 11.00am. It's free and open to all with an open mic at the end (sign up on the day from 10.30am; first come, first served). #spokenwordpoetry #openmic #poetrycommunity #spokenpoetry

Thea Smiley's poem, "The Swallows have Returned to the Barn", was highly commended in the Ver Poets Open Competition 2025, judged by Rory Waterman. To enter this year's competition, which will be judged by Vanessa Lampert, go to verpoets.wixsite.com/verpo…. The closing date is 30th April.

Our thanks to David and to the open-mic readers, Bruce Christianson, Janice Warman, Neil Beardmore, Scott Elder, Greg Smith, Margaret Rochford and Stephen Claughton.
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Janice also has a new book out. Called "These are the things we have lost", it's from Fly on the Wall Press.​​​

We had a great evening of poetry last night, when we held our first Zoom open mic. Our featured poet, David Van-Cauter, read poems from his new pamphlet, "Breathing", which is published by Arenig Press.

Don't forget our Zoom open mic this Wednesday (14th January) at 7.30 pm, with featured poet David Van-Cauter. It's free and open to all. If you're not a member of Ver Poets, you can get a link by emailing us at verpoets@gmail.com. Please say if you would like to read (first come, first served).

We're holding a poetry open mic via Zoom on Wednesday 14th January at 7.30 pm, when our featured poet will be David Van-Cauter. His latest book is "Breathing" (Arenig Press).

The event is free and open to all. Please email verpoets@gmail.com for a link and say if you would like a reading slot.

Mark Totterdell won third prize in our 2025 Open Competition, judged by Rory Waterman, with his poem, "Bus".

We had a very successful evening at St Albans Library on Friday. Huge thanks to Hannah Copley (@hannahcopley.bsky.social) and Pratibha Castle for coming to read to us, as well as to those who took part in the open mic or who came just to listen to some excellent poetry.

Join us for a fantastic evening of poetry in St Albans Library this Friday (5th December) at 7.30 pm with Hannah Copley and Pratibha Castle. Their readings will be followed by an open mic (sign up from 7.00 pm--first come, first served).
#spokenwordpoetry #openmic #poetrycommunity #spokenpoetry

We had a great evening of poetry on Wednesday at The Saint & Sinner pub in the centre of St Albans, when Estelle Price was our featured poet.
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Our thanks to her and all those who read or who came to listen to some excellent poetry.

Hannah Copley and Pratibha Castle will be our guest readers on Friday 5th December at 7.30 pm in St Albans Central Library.

Their readings will be followed by an open mic (sign up on the night from 7.00 pm; first come, first served). The event is free and open to all.

Don't forget our poetry open mic at 7.30 pm tomorrow (Wednesday 19th November) in The Saint & Sinner, St Albans, when our featured poet will be Estelle Price. It's free and open to all. Sign up on the night from 7.00 pm, if you want to read.

Only a week to go to our open-mic poetry evening at The Saint & Sinner in St Albans on Wednesday 19th November at 7.30 pm, when our featured poet will be Estelle Price. It's free and open to all. Sign up on the night from 7.00 pm, if you want to read.

Vanessa Lampert won second prize in our 2025 Open Competition, judged by Rory Waterman, with her poem, "Roughly The Same".

Join us at The Saint & Sinner pub in St Albans on Wednesday 19th November at 7.30pm for an open-mic evening, when our featured poet will be Estelle Price. It's free and open to all (sign up on the night from 7.00pm, if you want to read).

​​We were pleased to welcome Maggie Brookes-Butt and Sue Hubbard for an evening of poetry in St Albans Library on Friday.
Maggie read from her new book, "Wish: New & Selected Poems" and Sue read from her two most recent books, "God's Little Artist" (Seren) and "Swimming to Albania" (Salmon Poetry).

Don't forget our poetry reading and open mic with Maggie Brookes-Butt (@maggiebrookesbutt.bsky.social) and Sue Hubbard (@suewriter.bsky.social) tomorrow (Friday 24th October). It's at 7.30 pm in St Albans Central Library (sign up to read from 7.00 pm). The event is free and open to all.

Ilse Pedler won first prize in our 2025 Open Competition, judged by Rory Waterman, with her poem, “After the calving”.

Only a week to go to our reading and open mic with Maggie Brookes-Butt (@maggiebrookesbutt.bsky.social) and Sue Hubbard (@suewriter.bsky.social) in St Albans Library on Friday 24th October at 7.30 pm. It's free and open to all. #poetrycommunity #spokenwordpoetry #spokenpoetry #openmic

Maggie Brookes-Butt and Sue Hubbard will be our guest readers on Friday 24th October at 7.30 pm in St Albans Central Library (plus open mic). It's free and open to all.

(Maggie Harris, who was due to read to us, is unfortunately unable to come and Sue has very kindly agreed to take her place.)

Maggie Brookes-Butt will be reading from 'Wish - new and selected poems' (2025), which gathers work from six previous poetry collections alongside 21 new poems.

A recent Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund, Maggie Harris's recent collection is ‘I Sing to the Greenhearts’.

Maggie Brookes-Butt and Maggie Harris will be our guest readers on Friday 24th October in St Albans Central Library, followed by an open mic (sign up on the day from 7.00 pm). It's free and open to all.

Our open mic in The Mad Squirrel on Wednesday was a 'stanza bonanza' with Poetry ID, who are the North Hertfordshire Poetry Society Stanza Group. We were grateful to David Smith and other members of Poetry ID, who joined us for a lovely evening of poetry. Our thanks to everyone who came.

Don't forget our 'stanza bonanza' open mic with Poetry ID this Wednesday (24th September) in the Mad Squirrel Tap, St Albans at 7.30 pm. It's free and open to all. Sign up on the night from 7.00 pm, if you want to read. #spokenwordpoetry #openmic

Two Poetry Society Stanza Groups, Ver Poets and North Hertfordshire (Poetry ID), are joining forces for a "stanza bonanza" open mic at The Mad Squirrel Tap in St Albans on Wednesday 24th September at 7.30 pm. The event is free and open to all (sign up on the night from 7.00 pm, if you want to read).

Gill Knibbs, who has devised numerous poetry exercises, will prepare a group activity designed to produce ideas, images or words to provide inspiration for a poem. Some participants may share their results on the evening. It will run for about two hours. Bring pens/pencils and writing paper.

We're holding a poetry workshop in St Michael's Parish Centre in St Albans (AL3 4SL) on Friday 19th September at 7.00 pm. The workshop is FREE and open to non-members as well a members.

There is also a reading by Timothy Adès of his recent translations from the German where he will read his originals plus translations.
Refreshments. Books for sale.

On Sunday 14th September, at Torriano Meeting House in Kentish Town, 7.30 pm, Ver poet Katherine Gallagher will read from her new bilingual collection, "Rencontres Encounters", with Mexican poet Marina Sanchez reading the parallel text in French.