The National Poetry Library

About

Housing the world’s largest public collection of modern poetry, the National Poetry Library, on Level 5 of the Royal Festival Hall, is free to join. You don’t need to be a member to browse our shelves, holding poetry in all its forms from 1912 onwards, or to take a seat for poetry reading or study. The library loans out around 18,000 books a year, so if you do wish to take something away with you, why not join? Joining is free, and enables you to borrow books on proof of ID. We also host events and exhibitions, including readings, book launches and displays of visual poetry. The library holds more than 200,000 items and is growing all the time. Our collections include books, magazines, audio recordings and children’s books, providing a valuable resource for poets, academics, schools and families.

At a glance

• Typical visit: about 1 hour 30 minutes