SOUND Young Poets Takeover

The Poetry Society’s Young Poets Takeovers are a space for up-and-coming young poets and performers to meet one another and share their work on stage. This Takeover will feature headline sets from Foyle Young Poets Ellen McPetrie and Freya Gillard.

If you’re aged 25 or younger, we want to hear from you, too! Bring one poem and arrive from 13:30 to sign up for our open mic. We welcome all styles of poetry, and writers at all stages in their development. It’s first come, first served and open mic slots are popular, so arrive promptly to get your name on the list.

Of course, you don’t have to perform to come along. We’d love to see all young poets and poetry fans there – and we want to welcome you into our Young Poets Network community! We invite you to stay on afterwards for free refreshments and a chance to meet other young poetry lovers.

And join the community! We invite you to stay on afterwards for free refreshments and a chance to meet other young poetry lovers. We at Young Poets Network can’t wait to meet you.

Featuring:

Cia Mangat is the Education Coordinator at The Poetry Society. She runs Young Poets Network, the Young Critics Scheme, and the Poets in Schools service, among other education projects.
Freya Gillard is a nineteen-year-old poet from Devon. She was a Top 15 Foyle Young Poet 2023 and has written further for the Poetry Society, most notably for their Bog Talk project. Through the Poetry London Apprenticeship Scheme, Freya was mentored by Pascale Petit, and has since been published with the magazine. She attended the Tower Poetry Summer School 2025, and is part of the poetry cohort of the Arvon Advanced Writing Programme 2025-27. Freya is also developing as a poetry critic, and was one of ten participants in the Young Critics Scheme 2025, run alongside the TS Eliot prize.
Ellen McPetrie is a poet who has a lot of feelings. They write about them and respond to them, sometimes in the same line. In 2023 they wrote a little poetry book to talk about their feelings, and in 2025 they were a Foyle Young Poet. Now Ellen is studying a pre degree arts course, and so mostly spends a lot of time covered in paint.

Doors at 13:30 for a 14:00 start.

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Host or Publisher Plymouth Poetry Festival