Four Northern Poets

Poetry Reading
Fri 9 October, 2026 at 7:00 pm

An evening of vibrant readings by four emerging Northern poets. Beth Davies was appointed Sheffield Poet Laureate in 2024. To mark the end of her tenure, Off the Shelf has commissioned Beth to write a new poem which will premiere tonight. Fellow Hive poets Nathan Graham, Molly Knox and Safa Maryam, all recognised in the Northern Writers’ Awards 2026 will read alongside Beth. This event will also introduce a new Sheffield Poet Laureate. Who will it be? …

The Sheffield Poet Laureate is the city’s civic poetry award, celebrating an outstanding local poet who serves as an ambassador for poetry, creative writing and literary culture across Sheffield. Sheffield’s first Poet Laureate was appointed in 2018 by the then Lord Mayor, Magid Magid. Since then, there have been four laureates each having a tenure of 2 years. Off the Shelf has welcomed each one – Otis Mensah, Warda Yassin, Danae Wellington and Beth Davies. A Sheffield City Council initiative.