National Poetry Library
a whole library of nothing but poems
The largest collection of modern poetry in the world, free, hidden on Level 5 of the Royal Festival Hall, where anyone can read, listen and even ask the staff to track down a half-remembered poem.
Free to visit · South Bank · Waterloo · SE1 8XX
Opening: Tue–Sun 11am–8pm · closed Mon
Tucked up on the fifth floor of the Royal Festival Hall is a library devoted entirely to poetry, and it is free to use. The National Poetry Library holds the largest public collection of modern poetry in the world, every kind of verse from major collections to tiny self-published pamphlets.
Anyone can walk in, sit down and read, browse the shelves or listen to recordings of poets reading their own work. There are quiet corners with river views, regular free displays and a children's poetry section, and the staff are famous for their lost-quotation service, helping people find a poem they can only half remember.
It is the kind of free, generous, slightly hidden place that London does so well, a calm room of words a few steps off the busiest stretch of the South Bank, and almost nobody walking the river below knows it is up there.
Getting there: On Level 5 of the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre, a few minutes from Waterloo.
Best time to go: A quiet weekday afternoon, when you can browse and read in peace with the river just outside.
Insider tip: Ask the librarians if you are hunting a half-remembered poem, the lost-quotation service is a genuine thing and they are brilliant at it. It is on Level 5 of the Royal Festival Hall, so pair it with the free foyers and river terraces downstairs.
Official site: https://www.nationalpoetrylibrary.org.uk
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