From 13 to 24 October the Poetry Society sets off on a pioneering Education Roadshow of schools in the South West that will shake the dust off tired and customary approaches to teaching poetry to reveal lesson plans that are alive, vibrant and relevant. The Education Officer, Frank Geary, would be delighted to link up with NAWE members either at any of the programme events (as below) or by specific arrangement.

Over just nine days a team of eight poetry specialists - Valerie Bloom, Coral Rumble, Fiona Sampson, Paul Hyland, Anthony Wilson, Mandy Coe and Jackie Wills - will travel to over twenty schools in Devon, Somerset and Cornwall, with bags full of ideas to entertain and engage both teachers and pupils alike. Poets in schools is nothing new for the Poetry Society, but by focusing on a particular region the aim is to develop a network of confident, poetry-active schools and to create partnerships with advisors and educational organisations.

The classroom isn't the only location for the Education Roadshow. Teachers, advisors, literacy consultants and others can get a guided tour of all the Poetry Society educations programmes and resources at two taster events: at the Dance Studio, Exeter Phoenix (15 October at 2.30 - 4.30pm) and Alverton Manor, Tregolls Roads, Truro (17 October 2.30 - 4.30pm).

The South West is just the first port of call in the Poetry Society's plan to regularly go forth from their base at Covent Garden in London and meet teachers and education workers all around the country.

Also on the itinerary for the South West are poetry reading events. The first is in association with Shearsman Books at Exeter Phoenix with highly acclaimed Caribbean poet Valerie Bloom and Exeter poet Rupert Loydell (Wednesday 15 October). The second will be a reading in association with Peterloo Poets at the Old Chapel in Calstock with U A Fanthorpe.

Beginning the 13 October anyone can follow the encounters and adventures of the intrepid Education Roadshow team with regular updates on the Poetry Society website.