Poetry comes to the heart of the community as Simon Armitage visits Newcastle Library

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage is set to visit Newcastle Library, County Down this March as part of the next leg of his UK-wide Laureate’s Library Tour, with Libraries NI delighted to welcome one of the country’s most celebrated poets to the local community.

Simon Armitage will visit Newcastle Library on Friday 6 March from 7:00pm [THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED], marking the library’s selection as one of the stops on his ten-year tour of libraries across the UK. The tour celebrates libraries as vital cultural spaces, taking poetry out of traditional venues and into the heart of communities.

Newcastle Library has been chosen to represent the letter ‘N’ on the 2026 UK tour. Set against the dramatic coastal landscape of the Mourne Mountains, the library provides a fitting backdrop for an evening of poetry in a place long associated with storytelling, creativity and inspiration.

On Friday 6 March evening, Simon Armitage will be joined by Irish poet Dean Browne for a special live reading event [THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED]. Dean Browne’s debut collection After Party is a Poetry Book Society Recommendation, and his work has been widely published internationally. Together, the poets will share readings that celebrate language, place and the enduring role of libraries in cultural life.

This event offers a rare opportunity to see the Poet Laureate perform live in a local library, right in the heart of the community, and everyone is welcome to attend. Doors open at 7:00pm, with music from harpist Anne Harper and refreshments available, followed by poetry readings from Dean and Simon.

Booking for the Poet Laureate event is available by registering here [THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED]

In the days leading up to the visit, Newcastle Library will host a series of supporting events from Monday 2 March to Thursday 5 March, inviting people to explore creativity, heritage and storytelling in different ways. The wider programme features a range of creative workshops and talks, led by local artists and facilitators.

Highlights include an exploration of Northern Ireland’s forgotten and abandoned buildings with Rebecca Brownlie, the photographer behind Abandoned NI, uncovering the stories hidden within derelict spaces. Other sessions include a creative postcard workshop inspired by Newcastle with artist Craig Fyfe, a hands-on pyrography workshop creating Mournes landscapes with Karen Blasko, a supportive creative writing session with Kieron Black, and a townlands workshop with Dr Ian Malcolm, exploring the meaning behind local place names.

Toni Kelly, Branch Library Manager in Newcastle Library, said:
“This visit is an exciting moment for Newcastle Library and for the wider community. Libraries are places where people come together to explore ideas, creativity and stories, and this programme has been shaped to reflect that — from poetry and writing to local heritage and art. We’re looking forward to welcoming people into the library, whether they’re long-time poetry lovers or coming along for the first time.”

To complement Simon Armitage’s visit, a special poetry collection celebrating the best of UK and Irish poetry is now available to borrow from Newcastle Library, featuring more than 170 titles, including works by Dean Browne and Simon Armitage, Seamus Heaney, shake.

For updates and booking information, visit librariesni.org.uk or follow Libraries NI on social media.