This year’s Cornwall Contemporary Poetry Festival will see two of the most exciting stars of the contemporary poetry scene perform in the unique surroundings of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

In one of the festival’s most exciting billings, ground-breaking poets Inua Ellams and Isaiah Hull will be reading at the museum on Friday in what promises to be an inspiring evening and a celebration of the spoken word.

Born in Nigeria, the multi-talented Inua Ellams is not just a poet but also a playwright, performer and graphic artist, with a uniquely 21st century voice.

Identity, displacement and destiny are recurring themes in his work, which mixes the old with the new, the traditional with the contemporary.

At just 21 years old, Isaiah Hull is one of the break-out stars of the contemporary poetry scene, stunning audiences with his honest performance poetry. He has performed for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and recently launched his debut poetry collection Nosebleeds.

Having taken part in spoken word performances since the age of just nine, Isaiah has been described by Afropunk London as "taking no prisoners with his raw and visceral words".

The National Maritime Museum offers a uniquely atmospheric setting for this event, bringing the freshest in contemporary poetry right into the heart of Cornwall’s seafaring past.

Between readings, Falmouth’s budding poets will be invited to share their own work during an open mic session, and refreshments will also be on offer at the Museum’s bar.

The event starts at 7pm. Tickets are available on the door or can be booked in advance via the festival website at https://cornwallcontemporary.wordpress.com/.

Running until Sunday, this year’s Cornwall Contemporary Poetry Festival is the biggest and best yet.

As well as some of the UK’s finest established poets to Falmouth, it will also be offering a platform to strong emerging voices, not least the winners of the Cornwall Contemporary Poetry Prize 2018, which will be awarded at a prizegiving event on Saturday evening.

Other events include readings, workshops, discussions, a slam and an open-mic session on a boat on the River Fal.

Contact: Tom Scott (Falmouth Poetry Group) at cornwallcontemporary@gmail.com or 07971 464173.