THE inaugural Launceston Poetry Festival has been hailed as a success after bringing poetry paradise to the town.

More than 20 award-winning and noted poets came to town last week, travelling from all over the country to take part in the first ever Launceston Poetry Festival.

There were a variety of events on offer, including free community activities around Launceston such as poetry mentoring, meet the poet drop-in sessions, and rent-a-poet events, giving residents a chance to share their own work and get advice from professional poets.

Stars of the show included headliners Frank Skinner, Andrew Motion, Daljit Nagra, Ella Frears, and Pascale Petit.

Touching on the event’s success, David Devanny, chair of the Charles Causley Trust : "We're so proud the inaugural Launceston Poetry Festival was such a tremendous success!

“Thanks to our generous sponsors, volunteers, and partnership with Guillemot Press we saw dozens of poets and several hundred keen poetry fans visiting Launceston, as well as local poets taking to the stage and enjoying workshops, readings, the town band and youth drama group, a packed out open mic and headline performances from Frank Skinner and folk singer Jackie Oates.

“The local community and national poetry community joined to celebrate creativity in honour of Charles Causley, Launceston's poet."

Nicola Nuttall, director of the Charles Causley Trust, has called the event ‘magical’ and is looking forward to next year’s festival.

She said: “It was incredibly special to stage this event in Launceston. We heard Frank Skinner talking about Causley's poem Launceston Castle just fifty yards from the castle itself; a magical experience.

“We hosted award-winning poets at Eagle House, Merchant House, Guildhall and The Byre, and the atmosphere in the town centre was one of celebration as community bands played, and choirs sang. We are already excited for the possibilities of next year's festival.”