‘Patron saint of poetry’

One of the nation's favourite wordsmiths, Roger McGough, will be holding court Abbeydale Picture House, on Tuesday, May 21..

He's been called "the patron saint of poetry" by Carol Ann Duffy and Liverpool has long claimed him as their own poet laureate. And he has presence in Sheffield with a poem on the wall the Winter Garden..

At Abbeydale Pictyre House he will read from his exuberant new collection, joinedupwriting, which covers everything from forgotten friendships and the idiosyncrasies of family life, to the trauma of war and contemporary global politics.

These poems explore the human experience in all its shades of light and dark with his signature irreverence and vivacity.

He will be supported by Sheffield's favourite poet-comedian Stan Skinny and three-time world champion spoken word artist Buddy Wakefield.

It's part of the Sheaf Poetry Festival wjich launches on Friday, May 17, at Upper Chapel, with 30-voice anti-choir Juxtavoices, Mark Pajak and  Georgie Woodhead.

Other festival highlights include indie publisher Penned In The Margins hosting a three-poet reading with Rebecca Tamás, ; Raymond Antrobus, and Kate Davis, at Sheffield Hallam University, Arundel Gate, on Saturday, at 2.15pm.

The following Saturday, May 25, Rob Hindle and Fay Musselwhite will lead a walk around Rivelin Dams and Redmires Reservoirs, taking in  WWI training trenches,