Welcome
Fire River Poets is a small group of Somerset poets who share their work in monthly meetings.
We also organise public poetry events and work with schools.
Read more in About Us
Please note, our Guest Readings and Open Mic events will continue on Zoom for the present.
Visit our Event Registration page to register for any of these events and to see joining instructions.
Most of our Guest Reading Evenings allow space for limited Open Mic slots. You can request this when you register to attend. (Only one poem per poet, please, or two provided they fit one side A4.)
News
August 6th 2026 – BEAU BEAUSOLEIL, KATE NOAKES
Fire River Poets Presents: Beau Beausoleil and Kate Noakes
Fire River Poets are delighted to welcome internationally acclaimed poet and activist Beau Beausoleil alongside award-winning Bristol poet Dr Kate Noakes for our August guest readings. Join us on Thursday 6th August 2026 for an inspiring evening celebrating two distinctive voices in contemporary poetry.
Beau Beausoleil
Beau Beausoleil is a poet and activist based in San Francisco, California. His work has been widely published over several decades and is recognised for its engagement with social justice, environmental concerns and the human consequences of conflict.
His recent chapbooks include Poet as Naturalist (Raven and Wren Press), How Love Sustains Us (Barley Books UK), My California (fmsbw press), and War News (Agitate Journal). In 2025, War News II was published by fmsbw press, continuing his poetic response to the war in Gaza. His latest collection, Writing My Country, is published by Raven and Wren Press.
Drawing together the personal and political, Beau’s poetry offers a compassionate and deeply observant perspective on the world, inviting readers to reflect on history, place and our shared humanity.
Dr Kate Noakes
Kate Noakes lives in Bristol and holds a PhD from the University of Reading. Her latest collections are Sublime Lungs (Two Rivers Press, 2026) and Bog Queens (Green Bottle Press, 2026).
Alongside her own writing, Kate is one third of the Bristol poetry performance group Braid and curates the poetry programme for the Clifton Literature Festival. Her work is celebrated for its intelligence, lyricism and imaginative engagement with landscape, history and myth.
An Evening of Poetry
This Fire River Poets event brings together two accomplished poets whose work explores the world from very different yet equally compelling perspectives. From Beau Beausoleil’s powerful engagement with contemporary politics and place to Kate Noakes’s richly textured explorations of landscape, memory and myth, the evening promises a diverse and thought-provoking programme of readings.
Whether you are a regular poetry reader, a practising writer, or simply curious about contemporary poetry, we invite you to join us for an enjoyable evening of readings, conversation and shared appreciation of the written word.
All are welcome.
Planned Events
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