Birthday readings of the work of Belfast poet John Hewitt, held in the pub that carries his name, marking his birth date.
The John Hewitt Birthday Readings return to The John Hewitt Bar on Monday 26 October, marking the birth date of the celebrated Belfast poet. It's a reading of Hewitt's work held in the pub that carries his name, and it forms part of the Belfast International Arts Festival.
The evening is presented by The John Hewitt Society in association with Poetry Ireland. The whole thing is built around a specific idea: bringing poetry into a room where people gather and drink, rather than into a formal concert hall. It's a way of honouring Hewitt's legacy by keeping his work in the kind of social setting he'd have recognised, rather than on a distant stage. Hewitt's writing remains a touchstone of Northern Irish poetry, and these readings have become a fixture of the city's literary calendar.
If you're not familiar with him, Hewitt was one of Belfast's most significant poets, and his work is still widely read and discussed across Northern Ireland. The readings bring that voice back into the city, and doing it in a pub keeps the whole thing grounded and accessible. It's less about a performance and more about hearing the poems read aloud in a space where you can have a drink and a chat before and after.
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It starts at 8:00pm and runs for an hour, with doors open from 7:30pm, so there's plenty of time to get a drink and find a spot before things kick off. Tickets are £10, or £8 for concessions.
