GIVEN that Britain sees fit to devote seven days to National Sausage Week, it seems only fair that one day a year, poetry muscles in on the action.

Happily Greater Manchester is doing poetry lovers proud for this ten-year anniversary as six areas - Bolton, Hyde, Manchester, Rochdale, Stockport and Warrington - launch simultaneous celebrations of the spoken and written word.

Outside Manchester Central Library, Suzanne Batty hosts an open-air stage whilst inside, leading children’s poets Ian Macmillan and Adrian Mitchell perform. On the outskirts, Stockport’s stage will feature open mic action from Quibilah Montsho, Hyde gets the benefit of snappy poetry from Dike, Rochdale’s stage is hosted by Suki Mitchell.

Warrington will witness a balloon release in the presence of the Mayor, followed by words of wit from Max Seymour and Bolton gets in on the act, as dialect poet Brain Clare and Bolton’s Just Poets perform at the Town Hall.

You might decide to choose one location and stick to it, but poets-on-the-road Owen Sheers and Anthony Dunn have no such luxury - they’ll be racing from one stage to another all morning to perform their poetic creations.

Surely even the most impressive sausage would struggle to inspire devotion like this.

Manchester Poetry Festival events run until Sunday, October 12. Details are available from 0161 236 5725, or the website below.

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