Keats Festival 2015

This half term, Keats house in Hampstead has been renovated, and has opened its doors to a host of artefacts from Keats’ life: his annotated copy of Milton’s Paradise Lost, the medical journals from when Keats was training to be a doctor and a hair brooch, shaped like a lyre, that was made by his close friend, the artist Joseph Severn, upon Keats’ death. The house has been dressed-up with the pre-Raphaelite paintings that helped popularise the poets’ work, and the love letters that he wrote to his next-door neighbour and fiancee, Fanny.

The renovations have coincided not only with the announcement that the fifth British Children’s Laurent, Michael Rosen, will be the Keats’ House Poet in Residence but also the start of this year’s Keats House Festival 2015.

Priding itself as literary centre, rather than a museum, the house hosts an annual festival with a number of events, guest speakers and kids activities. With 18 literary events stretching over 11 days there’s a lot to choose from. Here are the Culture Whisper highlights that we most recommend for visitors before, or after, they have a wander around the newly decorated house. 

Poetry and Illustration for Families 

Saturday 30 May 1pm - 2pm

Children and parents are invited to make a ‘visual poem’ using arts materials brought by volunteer poetry society, Poet in the City. Paul Lyalls, current Poet in Residence at the Museum of Oxford, will be joined by cartoonist and illustrator Steve Marchant for an afternoon of writing, drawing and painting.

This workshop is a reflection on the close relationship between visual and literary images that Keats inspired in many pre-Raphaelite artists, who chose to make his poems the subjects of many paintings. Keats’ friend, the artist Joseph Severn, was so enamoured of Keats’ poem about a woman who keeps her lovers’ head in a pot of basil that he painted the image. It now hangs on the first floor of Keats’ house.

Suitable for ages 4+

Free, booking recommended 

Keats House Poets Present… Dean Atta and Hannah Lowe

Sunday 31 May 2pm - 4pm

Keats House Poet Dean Atta, winner of the 2012 London Poetry Award and one of the most influential LGBT people according to the Independent on Sunday Pink List, is being joined by guest headliner Hannah Lowe for a relaxed afternoon of poetry and spoken word, with an open mic. The poet Hannah Lowe is described as a Next Generation Poet, and explores family relationships and multicultural life in London. She has been shortlisted for Aldeburgh Best First Collection Prizes, ad Seamus Heaney First Collection Prize.

Free, booking recommended

Imtiaz Dharker and TEN 

Wednesday 3 June 7pm - 8.30pm

One of Britain’s foremost Black/Asian poets, Imtiaz Dharker, recipient of the Queen’s Medal for Poetry, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and whose work, as all good students know, is on the GCSE (and A Level) English syllabus, will be joined by up-and-coming poets, Rishi Dastidar, Edward Doegar and Sarah Howe for an evening of poetry.

£6/£5 concessions, booking recommended

LiTTle MACHiNe with Dalit Nagra

Thursday 4 June 7pm - 8.30pm

LiTTle MACHiNe are a poetry band setting great poetry of many eras to music, and much loved by the poet Carol Ann Duffy, who described them as, ‘the most brilliant music and poetry band in the world.’

In honour of Keats, the band will be performing a Romantically-flavoured set, drawing on Keats’ work, and will be joined by Keats House Poet in Residence, Daljit Nagra, whose poems you might recognise form BBC1’s The One Show.

£6/£5 concessions, booking recommended

Lyric Writing Workshop

Saturday 6 June 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Singer-song writers Emily Mae Winters and Asha Cluer, and Keats House Poets Laila Sumpton and Stephanie Turner will be on hand to help teach lyric writing and the art of song creation to anyone interested in creating poetry and music. Poet Laila Sumpton's most recent work has included human rights poetry, written in collaboration with the University of London’s Human Rights Consortium and published an in anthology of human rights poetry titled ‘In Protest - 150 poems for human rights’.

£8/£6 concessions, booking required

Festival Finale John Hegley, Jo Shapcott, Daljit Nagra and Michael Rosen 

Sunday 7 June 4.30 - 6pm

Welcoming the new Poet in Residence, former Children’s Laureate poet Miachel Rosen, is this final event of the Keats house festival 2015. Poet Jo Shapcott will read a section of her Dr Keats poems, and comedian and poet John Hegley, (a guest on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and regular at the Edinburgh Festival) will perform his own famous Keats songs, including ‘Celerybration’ and ‘Mulling by the Mulberry Tree’. Current Poet in Residence Daljit Nagra, will hand over the post in person.

Free, booking recommended 

For kids events: read our guide to the best half term activities in London 2015