The Poetry Trust began life in 1988 as the Aldeburgh Poetry Trust, a registered charity set up by a small group of Suffolk poets wanting to hear national and international poets without having to go to London.

Michael Laskey founded the annual Aldeburgh Poetry Festival and directed it voluntarily for ten years – 1989 to 1998 – during which time the festival built a reputation for the independence, quality and diversity of its programme, the attractiveness of its location, and the exceptional size of its audiences.

Naomi Jaffa joined the Trust in 1993, to support the Festival and, as Suffolk’s first literature development worker, to develop an outreach programme of poets in residence working in schools and the wider community.

Naomi succeeded Michael as director in 1999 and in 2003 the organisation was re-constituted as The Poetry Trust (TPT) with a Board of trustees and Michael as Chair. With increased Arts Council and Lottery investment, TPT moved into its first office – at the newly-opened Cut Arts Centre in Halesworth – and with a new part-time team the Trust began its gradual transformation into a national flagship for poetry. Michael Laskey retired as Chair in 2008 and was succeeded by Peter Lake with a refreshed and increasingly well-equipped Board.

As an Arts Council ‘Regularly Funded Organisation’, TPT has been delivering a year-round live and digital programme, creative education opportunities, courses, prizes and publications. The Trust is passionate about the quality presentation of poetry – on stage, in print, online – and committed to supporting and developing poets, especially new talent.

In 2011/12 – and after more than a decade as an Regularly Funded Organisation – The Poetry Trust was invited by Arts Council England to apply to become a National Portfolio Organisation. The application was turned down and as a consequence, The Poetry Trust will cease to operate as a year-round organisation with a wide poetry remit. From April 2012, activities will concentrate on talent development, international programming and building audiences for the best contemporary poetry – with the focus on the delivery and expansion of the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival.

The Poetry Trust is an organisation driven by the conviction that poetry as an art form can make a significant contribution to the quality of our cultural life. Andrew Motion