21 – 24 September 2023, Leeds

BBC Contains Strong Language Festival 2023 comes to Leeds to celebrate the poetry and passion of the city. The BBC’s Contains Strong Language Festival (CSL) – the UK’s biggest poetry and performance festival for new writing – is taking place in Leeds from September 21 – 24.

Now in its 7th year, the 2023 Festival showcases established and renowned poets such as Lemn Sissay OBE, Malika Booker, National Poet of Wales Hanan Issa and Owen Sheers; as well as giving a platform to emerging artists from Yorkshire, across the UK and beyond.

The festival line-up explores everything from rap’s connection to poetry, to LGBTQ+ issues expressed by queer poets from India and the UK. Attendees can also enjoy a range of international poets from New Zealand, South Africa, Belize, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, Nigeria and, of course, Leeds and West Yorkshire.

More information: www.bbc.co.uk/events/edb84f