Public Talk at St Augustine’s explores Britain’s Poets Laureate

St Augustine’s Abbey, Chilworth near Guildford will host a special public talk this September exploring the lives, works and enduring influence of Britain’s Poets Laureate.

The Laurel and the Lantern: A Reflective Journey Through Britain’s Poets Laureate will examine how writers from Wordsworth and Tennyson to Betjeman, Ted Hughes, Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage have captured the spirit, struggles, beauty and aspirations of their age.

Presented by Rt Rev Dom Paulinus Greenwood OSB, Dr Jo Russell and Sheila Longman, the evening will combine poetry, literary insight and reflection in the peaceful surroundings of the Benedictine monastery’s Assisi Room.

The talk takes place on Friday 18 September 2026, 7.30pm–9pm, at St Augustine’s Abbey, Chilworth, Guildford, Surrey GU4 8QR.

Advance booking is essential. Tickets are available via www.TicketSource.com by searching “Chilworth Abbey” or at:

https://www.ticketsource.com/st-augustines-abbey-chilworth

Early bird tickets are available until 4 September at £12 per person or £10 each for groups of three. A small booking fee applies. All proceeds support the monastery.