Hay Forum Sevilla 2024

Simon Armitage, one of the most renowned and widely read poets in the United Kingdom, has always believed that poetry offers more possibilities than just a book. This openness to collaborating with other genres led to his involvement with the music band Lyr, which also includes producer and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Pearson and musician Richard Walters. Many of the band's song lyrics are written by Armitage. Their critically acclaimed albums, Call In The Crash Team and The Ultraviolet Age, have garnered over five million streams, and their UK tours have included major festivals such as Green Man and Blu Dot. At this event, attendees will be able to experience the sound of this “post-rock with jazz influences” band, interspersed with poetry readings by Armitage himself.

Simon Armitage, originally from Huddersfield (UK), was named Poet of the Millennium in 1999 and was elected to the Royal Society of Literature in 2004. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his services to poetry in 2010, and in 2012, he was presented with the Hay Medal for Poetry at the 25th Hay Festival. As part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad in Great Britain, while serving as a resident artist at London’s Southbank, Armitage conceived and organized Poetry Parnassus, a gathering of poets and poetry from all Olympic nations. This iconic event is widely regarded as the largest gathering of international poets in history. He is also a member of the Poetry Foundation.

Event in English