FOR the first time, the Poet Laureate will be a woman, and Carol Ann Duffy, the recently announced laureate, will be interviewed at Hay Festival as part of the poetry-themed programme of education events run by the festival in local schools.

For years 10 and 11, there will be masterclasses on May 14 and May 22 with two AQA syllabus text poets, Gillian Clarke and Imtiaz Dharker, who will discuss methods of reading and interpretation as students approach their English literature exams.

On the afternoon of May 14, Gillian Clarke will also run a discussion with AQA English teachers from the region about her poetry and methods of teaching her work, hosted at Fairfield High School.

Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage – two of the other AQA syllabus poets – will be interviewed at the festival, Carol Ann Duffy on Thursday, May 28, and Simon Armitage on Sunday, May 31.

The poetry theme extends to years seven to 10, with a poetry competition for pupils across Herefordshire and Powys, promoted via schools and in libraries.

The theme is self-portrait and applicants can enter by email or by post before the closing date of Wednesday, May 20.

For younger children, the festival has arranged for poet Francesca Kay to work with each of the schools local to Hay itself – Hay Primary School, Clyro Church in Wales Primary School and Glasbury School – getting the children talking and writing about poetry involving trees and the environment.

The festival will provide craft materials to create a giant tree in each school, the fruit of which will be made from the children’s poems – a poet-tree. Each school will then send its work to the festival, where a real live poet-tree will be created out of steel and stained glass by the award-winning stained glass window maker and restorer Jim Budd.