We are thrilled to announce Asa Butterfield, Tamsin Greig, Giles Terera MBE, Indira Varma and Samantha Spiro join this joyful celebration of 10 years of Allie Esiri’s best-selling anthology A Poem for Every Night of the Year, which, along with her other popular poetry collections, has lit an explosion of interest in poetry in the UK.

Allie Esiri has hosted annual performances at the National Theatre and major festivals, with poems read by some of our greatest actors – from Helena Bonham Carter to Dominic West. These live shows capture and enthral generations of poetry lovers. Esiri read Modern and Medieval Languages at the University of Cambridge, then worked as an actress for ten years in the English Shakespeare Company and on film in shows such as Sharpe, Men Behaving Badly and Poirot, before moving on to curate the first poetry apps, poetry anthologies for all ages, and live shows.

Along with Esiri’s other best-sellers A Poem for Every Night of the Year and Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year, her anthologies are regularly chosen for National Poetry Day and have been picked as best books of the year in The Observer, Guardian, Times and New Statesman.

This highly entertaining event is suitable for all ages.

*Please note, all artists appear subject to availability. Artists listed are correct at the time of publication. In the unlikely event that an artist needs to cancel, we reserve the right to amend the lineup without notice, and no refunds will be due.

This event is part of the 2026 Chelsea Arts Festival.