Poetry night for people to share their personal favourite poems will be held in Banbury

The event is being run by the Rev Ryan Service on Friday November 18, starting at 7.30 pm, at the Dupuis Centre (next to St John’s Church) Dashwood Road.

Rev Service said it is an informal evening that is open to everyone, whether they are reading their favourite poem or listening to others.

He added: "I used to think that poetry and literature belonged to other people. It conjured up other voices, stuffy libraries where you had to keep silence, or an image of students at their desk removed from the world, or an older generation that had learned verses by rote.

"During a class in school a teacher read a poem aloud and it gave me goosebumps. I passed it off as teenage development but from that day on it was clear that words have an impact and are potentially transformative."

"Studying English before training to be a Catholic priest, words mattered and on Friday November 18 St John’s is hosting a poetry night.

"It’s an informal evening open to all where people are invited to share their personal favourite poems, whether classical or contemporary.

"People are also welcome to come and listen to other people read their choice poems.

"There is already interest from sixth form students at Blessed George Napier School and international residents who speak English as a second language and will share a poem in translation."

No booking is necessary.