A POETRY festival in Woodstock is to return for its fifth year.

Woodstock Poetry Festival, now a staple of the town’s annual calendar, is offering a wide programme for all ages from Friday, November 11, to Sunday, November 13.

A variety of poets from the area and further afield will deliver readings over the course of the weekend.

The festival opens on Friday in St Mary’s Church with Liz Lochhead, former National Poet of Scotland and recipient of the most recent Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. After a break for wine and sandwiches, Alice Oswald will read from Falling Awake and other recent work.

On Saturday evening guests can see former Welsh national poet, Gillian Clarke, who recently travelled the country with Carol Ann Duffy, and Lemn Sissay. During the day, John Foster will lead ‘The Dinosaur Rap’, which involves reading and activities with puppets for children aged three to 11, in Woodstock Library.

On Sunday, there will be a reading from Penny Boxall, who recently won the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award for her first collection, Ship of the Line. That evening there will be traditional Irish singing and music, with poems by Bernard O’Donoghue.

Two Oxford-based Stanza groups will perform on both days.

All of the afternoon events have tea and cakes between readings, and wine is available in the evenings.

For a full programme of events visit woodstockbookshop.co.uk.