Events

Walk on through the wind,
walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
and you'll never walk alone, you'll never walk alone.

Oscar Hammerstein II
13 November 2023

19:00

Toppings Bookshop, Bath

Event at Toppings, Bath

Join us in the bookshop to celebrate the final instalment of The Poetry Pharmacy: The Poetry Pharmacy Forever.

William Sieghart has had a long career in publishing and the arts. He established the Forward Prizes for Poetry in 1992 and founded National Poetry Day in 1994. Since the publications of the enormously successful The Poetry Pharmacy (2017) and The Poetry Pharmacy Returns (2019), he has prescribed thousands of poems up and down the UK over hundreds of hours of in-person consultations.

Now, he is back to prescribe the perfect poem for a variety of life’s ailments, offering hope and comfort to readers in need. Here, he draws on the emails he received from the public during multiple lockdowns, as well as tried-and-true classics from his in-person pharmacies, to create an essential anthology of poetry for our times.

From weathering sorrow and sudden loss, to dealing with environmental despair and burnout, this new selection speaks directly to a society in urgent need of comfort and compassion. Whether you’re searching for guidance, hope, or simply a moment of beauty, The Poetry Pharmacy Forever is here to provide solace, joy and inspiration, one verse at a time.

As part of our Autumn Literary Festival, William will be sharing his favourite poems from this highly-anticipated anthology and giving a talk on the inextricable relationship poetry has to connection and healing. It’s sure to be an unmissable evening.

Register now
5 December 2023

19:00

The Tabernacle, 34-35 Powis Square, Notting Hill Gate, London, W11 2AY

Intelligence Squared event at the Tabernacle

Live On Stage

TUESDAY DECEMBER 5 2023, 7PM GMT

The Power of Poetry: Words to Heal and Inspire

​​Join us for an evening of poetry and inspiration with William Sieghart, the acclaimed author of the bestselling Poetry Pharmacy books. Sieghart’s books have become a sensation, offering readers a prescription of verse to soothe, inspire and revive. At Intelligence Squared, we have had the privilege of hosting Sieghart before, along with stellar guests including Jeanette Winterson, Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West.

Now we’re delighted to welcome Sieghart back for the launch of his final volume in the series, The Poetry Pharmacy Forever: New Prescriptions to Soothe, Revive and Inspire. Joining him in conversation will be BBC broadcaster Sarah Montague. Together they will explore the poems in the new book, each one expertly matched to tackle specific problems we all face, whether it’s coping with grief, environmental despair, or burnout. Alongside the discussion, actors will perform the poems, bringing their emotional resonance to life and connecting us all as fellow human beings.

In a world that has been through tumultuous times, poetry can be a beacon of hope, a reminder of our shared humanity, and a powerful tool for healing. Come to the Tabernacle in Notting Hill on December 5 for an unforgettable evening and discover the poems that can help you to heal, connect, and thrive.

Register now

Previous events

17 June 2023

Borris Festival of Ideas

William Sieghart opens his clinic to troubled souls in need of a prescription.

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10 June 2023

EA Festival

Speaker: Edward Wilson, Moderator: William Sieghart.

Who knew that Suffolk provided the perfect backdrop for spy novels? Edward Wilson, based in Chediston, has written a series of spy fiction starring a protagonist who hails from Lowestoft, William Catesby. Due to Suffolk’s place on the front line of Cold War espionage, there’s apparently plenty of material to populate Edward’s thrillers. William Sieghart will delve into the personal and regional histories that make Edward’s books so compelling and have given rise to a deep and loyal following for his novels.

WATCH video

 

Speaker: Justin Webb Moderator: William Sieghart.

As BBC Radio 4’s longest serving presenter with front-line experience reporting some of the biggest global news stories of the 90s, Justin Webb shared his observations about how journalism, news, audiences and the media industry have evolved since he began his career and how we can clean up or upgrade the media environment so that the news can fulfil its original and most important purpose – accurately and objectively informing the public about important events that affect civic discourse.

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Speaker: Luke Harding, Moderator: William Sieghart.

Luke Harding, the Guardian’s front-line correspondent covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine, will share some of the experiences and impressions captured in his new book, Invasion: Russia’s Bloody War and Ukraine’s Fight for Survival, in addition to giving us an update on the conflict. As both the Moscow bureau chief of the newspaper and someone who has found himself directly in the cross-hairs of Putin, Luke is uniquely well positioned to analyse and report on the war.

WATCH video

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3 June 2023

William Sieghart at the Hay Festival

William Sieghart with Karen Bryson, Denise Gough, Natascha McElhone and Dominic West

WILLIAM SIEGHART’S POETRY PHARMACY GALA

Hay Festival 2023, 

The Poetry Pharmacy has a prescription whatever your poetic need or desire, from verses to soothe your soul and brighten your day to poems that offer comfort in times of trouble. William Sieghart, creator and editor of The Poetry Pharmacy, is joined by Karen Bryson (Zack Snyder’s Justice League, White Wall), Denise Gough (Colette, Andor), Natascha McElhone (The Truman Show, Solaris) and Dominic West (The Crown, Tomb Raider) for an evening of connection and inspiration.

​Chaired by journalist, broadcaster and author Kavita Puri.

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22 March 2020

Heckfield Place, Hampshire RG27 0LD

Poetry Pharmacy Walk

Walk, talk and have tea and cake with William Sieghart, author of Poetry Pharmacy and Poetry Pharmacy Returns (a copy of this latest book will be included in the ticket).

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8 March 2020

Patrick Studio Birmingham Hippodrome

Uni-Slam Poetry Competition

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24 February 2020

Hertford College, Catte Street, Oxford OX13BW

Hertford College Poetry Talk

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2 December 2019

Carlton Club, London

The Lunar Club

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26 November 2019

The Chorleywood Bookshop, WD3 5NJ

The Chorleywood Bookshop

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3 October 2019

Waterstones

Interview at Waterstone’s

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2 March 2018

Emmanuel Centre

The Power of Poetry

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