 |
| Luke Kennard and Bjørn Vatne |
Bjørn Vatne and Luke Kennard
Thor Magnus Tangerås and Eley Williams
Vilde Bjerke Torset and Lavinia Singer
Sean Bell and SJ Fowler
Bob T Bright and Matthew Sokulsky
Petra Pálkovácsová and Katerina Koulouri
Norwegian Poetry Celebration
European Poetry Festival 2026
St Olave's Church, Hart Street, London
17th June 2026
www.europeanpoetryfestival.com
 |
| Thor Magnus Tangerås and Eley Williams |
A special celebration of contemporary Norwegian poetry to open the 9th edition of the European Poetry Festival. Hosted in the remarkable St Olave church in the city of London, with its 900 years of connection to Norway and it’s patron saint, this event showcased over a dozen poets presenting new collaborations of literary poetry and experimental performance, all made for the night. Featuring those travelling in from Norway alongside many poets based in London, this was a unique and brilliant night of ‘Camarade’ literature.
 |
| Lavinia Singer and Vilde Bjerke Torset |
St Olave Church is dedicated to the patron saint of Norway, King Olaf II, who fought alongside the Anglo-Saxon King Æthelred the Unready against the Danes in the Battle of London Bridge in 1014. He was canonised after his 1028 death and the church of St Olave's was built apparently on the site of the battle. The Norwegian connection was reinforced during the Second World War when King Haakon VII of Norway worshipped there while in exile.
 |
| SJ Fowler (Samuel Pepys) and Sean Bell |
The church was a favourite of the diarist Samuel Pepys, whose house and Royal Navy office were both on Seething Lane. In 1669, when his beloved wife Elisabeth died from fever, Pepys had a marble bust of her made and installed on the north wall of the sanctuary so that he would be able to see her from his pew at the services. In 1703, he was buried next to his wife in the nave.
 |
| Bob T Bright and Matthew Sokulsky |
The European Poetry Festival is the biggest consistent celebration of continental poetry in the UK. For nine years as a festival, and over fifteen years as an event series, over 1000 European poets have performed new collaborations across the British Isles. The festival celebrates, in the UK and beyond, the grand resurgence in avant-garde and literary poetry that has marked the 21st century across Europe and it aims to not only innovate what a live poetry experience might be, but to inculcate community and engagement between poets across the continent, as well as between new audiences and complex poetries. At the heart of this is our collaborative model, the Camarade events. Here pairs of poets, visiting or based in the UK, create brand new works for each event, free to create as they wish. Each event often features multiple pairings, and so our events become energised, engaging playgrounds for experimentation as well as friendships.
Katerina Koulouri and Petra Pálkovácsová
Events to come
July Weds 1st - Latvian Poetry celebration at National Poetry Library, Southbank Centre
July Sat 4th - Romanian Poetry celebration at The Poetry Society Cafe, London
August Sat 15th 2026 - Celebrating Bob T Bright and assorted book launches: an event at Torriano Meeting House, 2pm doors, Free
