Welcome to the SoA Poetry and Spoken Word Group (PSWG) page, a professional community for poets and spoken word artists. We come together to discuss issues affecting poets and the spoken word community, offer advice and support, and raise the profile of poetry and performance.
The Group is run by an elected Committee and a professional coordinator from the SoA. We welcome new and existing SoA members. Please email Tilly Zeeman and Sarah Baxter (PSWG coordinators) if you would like to get involved and be added to our newsletter.
The current Committee are Dean Atta (Chair), Rosaline Callaghan, Sophie Dumont, Isabel del Rio, Amanda Holiday, Alwyn Marriage and Michaela Morgan. Philip Gross is a coopted member of the Committee.
We run events to give members the opportunity to socialise, share experiences and learn about topics relevant to their craft. Most of our events are now held online and the recordings of all our SoA@Home Festival events are available to watch online via our Vimeo Channel.
We hold an Annual General Meeting, during which the Chair presents the committee’s annual report to the members, followed by a panel with experienced poets and spoken-word artists.
We also send out regular newsletters with info and opportunities in the world of poetry and spoken word, as well as news, advice and other related features. If you are a member and have something you would like to include in the Group newsletter, please contact Tilly Zeeman and Sarah Baxter.
If you are not a member of the SoA yet, see our joining page for information about signing up. Don’t forget that poets and spoken word artists can use the discount code PSWG20 to get 20% of their first year of full-price membership.
Committee news
There are four vacancies on the PSWG committee.
The committee is made up of SoA members who volunteer to help organise our events, steer campaigns and make sure that the voices of poets and spoken word artists are heard at the SoA. Terms last for three years and new committee members would start in March 2026.
A message from the PSWG Committee:
“The Poetry and Spoken Word Group is looking for new members to join its committee, which currently comprises poets who are also educators, performers, publishers, editors, critics and activists. Our goals are to promote poetry widely, to consider best practice for writers and those who may employ, commission or publish them, and to focus on improving the lives and welfare of poets both creatively and professionally.
We are particularly keen to invite spoken word artists and poets who regularly attend and give readings, are published (even if they do not yet have a collection) and are familiar with their regional poetry scene. We would expect any new member to attend our meetings. We hold four meetings a year via Zoom (with any in-person meetings digitally accessible in hybrid form), plus an AGM. Meetings are held to contribute energy and ideas, and to liaise with other poets and professional organisations to further the goals of the group.
New members should be comfortable working as part of a lively team and will be intolerant of all forms of discrimination, exclusion or aggressive behaviour. We are keen to increase the diversity of the group so that we may truly represent poets from all backgrounds and abilities. We would welcome nominations from poets from all regions and nations of the UK. We are keen to invite younger and/or early career poets and spoken word artists to nominate themselves for a position on the committee. In view of the diverse poetry scene in the UK, we would also welcome poets working across languages, and poets writing for children and young adults.
Most of all, we want to invite new members who are passionate about poetry and its continued health and promotion, especially in these difficult times.”
Please note that only full SoA members can apply. If you are not sure about your membership status, please contact the Membership Team for more information.
If you are a full SoA member and would like to put yourself forward for a place on the committee, please send us:
– your SoA membership number and preferred name
– a brief bio (c.100 words)
– an election statement (c.200 words)
– a photograph/ image of yourself (optional)
The deadline to put yourself forward is Friday 21st November.
Please email PSWG co-ordinator Sarah Baxter (sbaxter@societyofauthors.org) with your application.
If we receive more than four eligible applications for the committee, applicants will be notified. We will then send details to PSWG members and they will have a chance to vote for their preferred committee members. Elections will be held online. And do not hesitate to email us, if you have any questions or queries.
Resources
We are always working on creating useful resources for poets, which will be made available on this page.
PSWG on Facebook
Join the PSWG Facebook discussion group to share advice and ideas with fellow poets.
The Poetry Library
Comprehensive listings of UK poetry magazines, publishers and competitions on their website. The library itself is in the Southbank Centre, London.
The Poetry Society
Founded to promote the recognition and appreciation of poetry, it runs the National Poetry Competition and publishes the magazine Poetry Review.
Facebook discussion group
We have a private Facebook discussion group for members to stay in touch and exchange ideas, offer advice to others and discuss topics affecting poets and the spoken word community. Join here
Remember, for any queries that require immediate or specialist advice, contact our advisors directly on info@societyofauthors.org, or call the office on 020 3880 2230.
Poetry and Spoken Word AGM
Our Annual General Meeting for the year 2024/25 took place online on Wednesday 27 March 2025.
Log in below to read Chair’s reports since 2017.
Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to be the first to hear about our events. Please contact Tilly Zeeman and Sarah Baxter to be added.