Dr John Cooper Clarke, Henry Normal & Lemn Sissay, John Hegley and other top names head to first Morecambe Poetry Festival

The biggest names in the poetry world have been brought together along with emerging writers from the grassroots scene to form a vibrant line-up for the inaugural Morecambe Poetry Festival from September 16-18.

Dr John Cooper Clarke, Henry Normal & Lemn Sissay, Atilla the Stockbroker, Kate Fox and TS Eliot Prize winner Joelle Taylor have already been announced, with John Hegley the latest to be confirmed.

The main stage line-up opens on Friday with punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke bringing his effortless beat cool to the Winter Gardens stage.

Star names from around the UK will take to the main stage while next door at Johnny’s Warehouse bar, the Alternate Stage will offer grassroots poets the chance to take part in the festival.

Mastermind behind the festival and Morecambe resident Matt Panesh was inspired by his time working as artistic director for Edinburgh Festival’s PBH’s Free Fringe.

He said: “It’s my dream line-up. There’s going to be hundreds of poets and it will be brilliant, wonderful and anarchic. Over this weekend, this unpretentious small seaside town can stake a claim to be home to one of the most exciting cultural events in the country. I want this to have a real impact on the town as we know access to the arts can be life-changing and bring about cultural renewal.”

Entry is free to the festival until 5pm each day. Earlybird festival tickets are £45 for the whole three days, full price £60, available to buy online here. From 5pm onwards, 18 years-plus only.