About

The Kent & Sussex Poetry Society is a lively local group centred on Tunbridge Wells (on the Kent and East Sussex border), with a national reputation. We have around 85 members – mostly local but also further afield in other parts of the UK and France, Australia and the USA.

Founded by Vita Sackville-West, we’ve been going for 75 years but remain as friendly and supportive and open to newcomers as ever.

Our activities include:

• Monthly open poetry readings from a wide range of contemporary poets. These evenings also include a short ‘open mic’ slot for readings from the floor.
• Monthly informal (and friendly) poetry workshops for members seeking feedback and peer advice on their poems.
• Our annual Open Poetry competition, judged by well-known poets, with major cash prizes and publication of the prize winning poems in our annual Folio publication and on our website.
• Expert-facilitated, subsidised poetry workshops for members.
• An annual member’s only competition, judged by well-recognised poets, leading to publication in the annual Folio and on our website.

Annual dues are still only £15, which entitles you to free admission to the local readings and our monthly peer-to-peer workshops, plus the opportunity to take part in our highly subsidised professionally run workshops, for members only.  Membership for students, retired and other unwaged is only £10 annually.

Our monthly poetry readings are currently being held on-line due to COVID, but we hope to go back to face-to-face or hybrid meetings in 2022. They are held on the third Tuesday of each month, and are open to non-members for a fee of £3.

For information about joining the Society, please email kentandsussexpoetry@gmail.com