Projects & exhibitions
We do more than just house poetry at the National Poetry Library, we explore, celebrate and protect it, in all its forms.
Our projects
From platforming lesser-known poets to protecting poems in endangered languages.
Special Edition 2025-26
The 70-Poet Challenge
Endangered Poetry Project
Past exhibitions
The National Poetry Library regularly hosts exhibitions that explore poetry in all its forms.
From illustration to Instagram, languages to Larkin, revisit some of our previous poetry exhibitions.
The Typographic Dante
30 April – 30 June 2019
Constructing Spaces
19 October 2018 – 31 March 2019
Language Shift
26 July – 23 September 2018
Instagram Poetry
26 April – 1 July 2018
Darkness Visible
17 November 2017 – 25 March 2018
Radical Alterations of the Sun
13 October – 1 November 2017
Larkinworld
31 January – 16 April 2017
The Spring to Come
5 October 2016 – 10 January 2017
Conceptual Poetics
24 May – 3 July 2016
David Byrne's Library
18 August – 13 September 2015
Donate to the National Poetry Library
You can support our work and programme of free events for children and adults by making a donation. Every penny you give will go towards the National Poetry Library.
For your visit
National Poetry Library Southbank Centre
The National Poetry Library is open six days a week.
Tuesday, 12 noon – 6pm
Wednesday – Sunday, 12 noon – 8pm
Monday, closed.
Getting here
The National Poetry Library is on Level 5 of our Royal Festival Hall.
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Study & library use
The library is London’s only space dedicated to poetry study. Visitors studying another subject or looking for a place to work are kindly asked to find an alternative space in the Royal Festival Hall.
