Join acclaimed poetry curator Allie Esiri for an evening celebrating her latest anthology, Sleep: A Poem for Every Quiet Hour of the Night. This intimate literary event brings together poetry, performance and conversation exploring sleep, insomnia and sleeplessness.
A distinguished cast of actors and thinkers will read and discuss poems spanning centuries and traditions—from Bashō to Charles Bukowski. The evening is structured around three thematic sections: 'Sleep', 'Psst Are You Awake' and 'Dawn', each offering verse suited to different moments of the night. Featuring performances by Lindsay Duncan, Paterson Joseph, Nigel Lindsay, Diana Quick, Tony Robinson and Ruby Wax, the reading will explore why poetry naturally resonates during night hours and what it reveals about our minds and bodies. Research shows that just five minutes of rhythmic verse read aloud can measurably calm the nervous system—a reminder that poetry's cadences mirror our own bodily rhythms.
Allie Esiri is a celebrated poetry curator whose anthology A Poem for Every Night of the Year sold over 175,000 hardbacks and won the IBW book award. She regularly hosts poetry events at the National Theatre and major festivals including Hay, Cheltenham and Edinburgh.
