Many great poems have been written about choice, from Shel Silverstein’s ’The Voice’ to Julia Donaldson’s ‘I Opened a Book’, and from Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ to Grace Nichols’ ‘Harbour’ – about choosing a human hug over constant digital contact. Many of these poems are available online, others can be found in a book you might have at home or can get at the library.

Hosted by Hannah Hodgson, this event will feature some of the best poems written on the theme of choice from the past. It will also be a showcase for Northwest poets – of all ages – who are writing today.

In the days leading up to National Poetry Day, Hannah Hodgson will curate a selection of outstanding poems from those submitted to the Litfest Poetry Mosaic, and on 2nd October Litfest will contact those poets (or a nominated reader) to invite them to read their work online at this special National Poetry Day showcase event!

After the event, all the submitted poems will remain online in our specially created Litfest Poetry Mosaic.

Hannah Hodgson is a poet living with life-limiting illness. Her work has been published by BBC Arts, The Poetry Society and Magma, amongst other outlets. She is a recipient of a 2020 Northern Writers Award for Poetry. Her first poetry pamphlet, Dear Body, was published by Wayleave Press in 2018; and her second, Where I’d Watch Plastic Trees Not Grow, centred around life with serious illness was published by Verve Poetry Press in 2021. Her first full length poetry collection, 163 Days, is due to be published by Seren in early 2022.

The Litfest Poetry Mosaic: National Poetry day with Hannah Hodgson