Special Edition: Femina Culpa Poetry & Justice
Hear from three poets and discuss shared themes of their new collections: historical research, archival materials and female working-class voices in the 1800s.
Femina Culpa is a reading and panel discussion event that showcases the work of poets Linda McKenna, Emma McKervey and Milena Williamson, whose 2024 poetry collections are all based on 19th-century court cases and the lives of working-class women. Each poet reads a selection from their work, followed by a discussion.
Linda McKenna explores the case of Elizabeth Dunham, who stole over 4,000 keys to a range of public buildings. She was tried at the Old Bailey and sent down to Bedlam in London.
Emma McKervey investigates the story of her great-grandparents, whose love letters were intercepted, resulting in a Sheriff’s Court Case in Stornoway, Scotland.
Milena Williamson examines the case of Bridget Cleary in County Tipperary, Ireland. She was murdered by her family on suspicion of being a fairy changeling, and the family was put on trial.
Need to know
For your visit
This event is held at the 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.