Chris Sewart – Stage 4 Beverley Festival Poet, in association with The Philip Larkin Society
We are pleased that in 2026, in addition to his writing workshop and festival appearances, Chris will be our official Festival Poet and this has been made possible by the support of the Philip Larkin Society.
Sounds grand. So, what does that mean? Over to Chris:
‘In the weeks leading up to the festival I will be writing a trio of new poems that take inspiration from my observations of previous festivals, and that also reflect on the forthcoming festival. With such past headliners as Eliza Carthy and Roger McGough, and future headliners Simon Armitage and Jacqui Dankworth – plus all the other fantastic acts lined up – there will be no shortage of material.
I love being part of the festival and I am really looking forward to being Festival Poet. I’m so pleased that The Philip Larkin Society have supported the role, and that this continues my association with them that started back in 2019 when I won the East Riding Festival of Words poetry prize sponsored by the society. So, when this opportunity arose I gave – in the words of Philip Larkin in his poem, ‘For Sidney Bechet’ – ‘An enormous yes!’.’
Watch out for Chris’s poems on our website and social media accounts in the run up to the festival and head to the events guide for tickets for his festival performances, where some of these new poems may just make an appearance!
The Philip Larkin Society was founded in 1995 and is a national and international focus for lovers of his work: as poet, novelist, jazz critic and librarian. The Society are proud to support Chris and his love of Larkin's poetry. To find out more about the society and membership go to http://www.philiplarkin.com . If you have an idea for a Larkin related project, then they would very much like to hear from you.
Chris is a member of The Poetry Society, The Society of Authors, and The Philip Larkin Society.
More information on Chris’s writing can be found at: The Society of Authors.
