Mansfield Library and the Old Library in the town are among the venues for the 21-event Inspire Poetry Festival that is planned for September.

Featuring celebrated poetry stars, regional favourites and cutting-edge newcomers, the festival will feature styles ranging from the formal lyric to freestyle spoken word.

Raymond Antrobus, whose Ted Hughes award-winning work explores wide-ranging themes from deafness and race to dementia, death and masculinity, will be appearing on 26th September at the Old Library, at 7.30pm.

Mansfield Library will be hosting the exhibition Voices, from 5th to 29th, a thought-provoking collection of poetry created by people whose voices, for health, social or age-related reasons, are rarely heard, combined with photography of those involved.

Award-winning poet Ben Norris worked with four different groups across Nottinghamshire to develop the work, including Woodleigh Christian Care Home, Mansfield.

The launch of the anthology based on the project and exhibition will take place on Saturday, 28th September, at 11am.

Mansfield Library will also show the film Bright Star (PG) at 3pm on Tuesday, 24th September, the story of the three-year romance between romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne.

The following day Everything You Wanted To Know About Poetry But Didn’t Dare To Ask is a workshop led by Jenny Swann, from 2pm to 2.30pm.

On Saturday, 28th September, there is a workshop with Nottinghamshire-born poet and fiction writer Deborah Tyler-Bennett, from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

For more information about the festival and details of how to book tickets, go to www.inspireculture.org.uk/poetry-festival or call 01623 677200.