A GOLDEN Ticket allows visitors to the South Downs Poetry Festival to attend all the readings and performances in Petersfield and Steep over this weekend, July 22-24.

And this offer for The Big Weekend, which runs from Friday to Sunday, extends to five workshops of the 16 being put in various venues.

The action on Saturday centres on the Festival Hall – enjoy poetry events, browse the book stall, with signings by guest poets, chat to poetry lovers in the bar and sample vegetarian food from While Thyme Collective from Southsea, before settling down in the main auditorium for a run of great evening events.

One of the workshops on offer over the weekend is by Penelope Shuttle (pictured). This is called While the Music Lasts and is at Petersfield Library on Saturday, from 10am to noon.

She asks what happens when the music ends, and silence takes its place. She will explore the themes of music and of silence in writing.

Penelope will also be inviting poetry lovers to join her and poet Jonathan Edwards at One Tree Books in Petersfield for coffee, croissants and verse in the cafe from 9am on Sunday.