Poetry & community

Daljit Nagra visits Ware, 9th October 2026

We were delighted to welcome Dalijt Nagra to Ware for two special events. Daljit is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University, Vice President of the Royal Society of Literature and presenter of the weekly Poetry Extra on Radio 4 Extra. He is the author of six poetry collections and his poems feature on the GCSE and A level curricula. 

During the afternoon, we hosted a great session with Daljit and 180 students from Chauncy, Presdales and Simon Balle Schools at Southern Maltings. Daljit read some poems, talked about creative writing and encouraged the students to think about difference and unity while they wrote poems on the spot, with prompts like 'things that don’t suck’, followed by a lively Q&A. Daljit returned as guest poet for a fabulous Ware Poets public event in the evening.

We’re very grateful to Ware Town Council for its financial support to help make this event happen.

Students’ creative responses

We're delighted that Daljit's visit inspired Chauncy students Sarah Ali and Anya Olariu to write the following poems:

You can read here some of the students’ poems that they wrote on the spot in response to Dajit’s prompts.

“A wonderful time was had listening to Daljit discuss the power of poetry and the imagination. Students in year 10 and 13 heard about the cultural value of the written word, and even wrote a couple of poems themselves, inspired by the poet's work which he performed for us. Most profound of all, was possibly the idea that language can heal - in this fractured society, poets and novelists and artists make a difference. Students will no doubt be inspired now to engage in the poetry of their exams, looking even closer at author and work going forward. With thanks to Ware Poets and The Southern Maltings for hosting this event.”

“It made me feel even more passionate about poetry. It's making me think maybe I want to do something more professional with my love of poetry.”

Sarah

“Poetry is in everything. It made me realise how simple it can be.”

Ferne

Katie Huttlestone & Clare Hutchins

English Department, Chauncy School

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to attend a poetry session with Daljit Nagra a few weeks ago. Although I am now studying a level English, it was really interesting to witness a poem I studied at GCSE, "Singh Song!" come to life through a reading from the actual poet himself. I found the session extremely engaging as well as informative. It allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of "Singh Song!" and overall poetry in general. Hearing Daljit Nagra explain his upbringing/experiences that shaped him as a writer gave me a new perspective on his work and allowed me to view it in a completely different light than before. It was a valuable experience to hear his thoughts and feelings directly, rather than it being simplified for a class analysis. Additionally, Daljit Nagra was extremely helpful and supportive when engaging with the audience. He answered peoples questions directly and thoughtfully and didn't leave anything unanswered. His enthusiasm towards poetry made the session enjoyable and memorable for everyone there. I would love to attend something similar again in the future throughout this course.”

“The Sixth Form English classes at Presdales went to the Southern Maltings in Ware to see Daljit Nagra at a Poetry session. There were multiple other schools there and everyone participated really well which was very exciting and interesting to be a part of. Daljit read through multiple written works and poems he has created during his life, some being ones we have studied within our curriculum, like "Singh Song!", which I studied for my English Literature GCSE. Daljit Nagra presented and described many different techniques and ways that he personally writes or aids to create better pieces of writing, and then gave all of us students the opportunity to also write something personal to us through this specific framework, which was extremely helpful, and will support my writing and creativity throughout my life. It was truly inspiring to hear the way he intended for his poetry to sound and be read in person and to understand a deeper layer of the meanings behind them as well. I will definitely take the advice he gave us regarding the framework and inspiration behind his writing style and apply it to my own creative pieces not only within school, but outside of school for enjoyment too, as I found everything very useful. Ultimately, it was a great experience and it will definitely support my studies for the next two years in sixth form, and it has inspired me to write more myself and to truly understand my own styles of writing.”

“I was delighted to have the privilege of having Daljit Nagra speak to a large group of us about his poetry, his own experiences of writing and being a poet. We discussed what inspired his writing and how he worked his way up to becoming so successful with his work, we were also given a series of activities to complete by him which was such a great opportunity some students also were able to share the poems they had produced if they chose to! My favourite aspect of the session was hearing about what inspired him to create each poem, how his culture and ethnicity was very important to him while writing. He expressed how he wanted to write more about his ethnicity as there weren't many examples shown through poetry. I think what I will take away from this session is that poetry doesn't have to always be something very meaningful, it can simply be something that you enjoy or you’re passionate about, I think it's great how Daljit expressed to the students that poetry can be whatever you make it there's no right or wrongs.”

“Following my second listening of Daljit Nagra's poetry, I am pleased to say that I was met with an excellent, insightful session once again. I thought that Nagra's reading of 'Singh Song' was thrilling to listen to live, and it provoked many questions from myself and the rest of the audience. I thought that his writing tasks that he set us; drafting our own poems for us to read aloud and receive critical feedback from him was really useful for developing my writing skills as an A-Level English Literature student. I really connected with Nagra on how he was saying we should try to reestablish our practice of literature in the world, moving away from the digital platforms, as writing, especially poetry, is a universal language that brings all cultures together in a peaceful sense. I managed to also snap a photograph with Nagra, and we had a pleasant discussion on poetry, how he started writing, and his future projects that he is working on. I found it fascinating how Nagra spends years writing and refining his work, I think this level of attention to detail is remarkable, and it is no surprise many of his poems are widely recognised globally.”

W.B

“The session with Daljit Nagra was a very enjoyable experience. The session on poetry mainly focused on exploring how he uses language, culture, and identity within his work. We examined multiple poems and discussed how he writes and blends all sorts of topics into his work to reflect experiences of his life that are of great importance to him. His live reading of the poem Singh Song was very memorable to me, as it brought the poem to life and gave it a whole new level of impact to me. The most interesting part of the session to me was the analysis of Nagra's language choices. I found it fascinating how he alters grammar, spelling, and pronunciation to capture authentic voices, celebrate cultural diversity, and also to connect him to the life he left behind. It allows him to connect and reminisce about his upbringing, and influence it into his work. Going forward, I will apply what I learned by paying closer attention to the relationship between language and identity when studying poetry. The session has encouraged me to look beyond surface meanings and consider how a writer's stylistic choices can shape a reader's understanding of culture, experience, and perspective.”

“I really enjoyed the poetry session with Daljit Nagra due to it being very engaging and insightful. In the poetry session, Daljit focused on explaining his use of language in his poems and how he used poetry to express his Punjabi background. His live readings were the most memorable for me as it brought his poems to life, displaying how making your poems flow, with rhythm and dialect can transform an a powerful memory into a gripping performance. Moving forward, I will apply Daljit's uses of experimentation and pushing against the stereotypes of poetry for my own work to create a more authentic and unique way to develop my writing.”

“The session with Daljit Nagra was completely eye-opening in terms of witnessing how simple writing and constructing a poem is. His pride for his family and culture was extremely present and it was clear he found comfort in his writing and hearing others express their own feelings through poetry. The authenticity was radiant and it was a privilege to witness so much creativity in a single room. Hearing his other poems gave us the chance to consider how poetry is the deepest form of expression: it can guide you into understanding more about the society around you, the people you surround yourself with, and how you embrace your roots despite the mockery you may receive from your peers. The experience will definitely linger and was one I'd recommend to anyone interested in English, poetry, or expressing their feelings and identity in ways that don't explicitly say it.”

Student and teacher reviews

“The Daljit Nagra poetry event at Ware Poets was invaluable for our students. Hearing a poem our students explore being read aloud was a joy, and the experience of Nagra’s poetry being brought to life by him in front of our eyes was second-to-none. Students were captivated, and further engaged by the poetry writing that he challenged our students with. All were able to bring their ideas into something personal and meaningful, making the poetic process accessible and exciting. A huge thanks to both Daljit Nagra and the team at Ware Poets, who were accommodating, thoughtful and efficient throughout the organisation of the event.”

Jude Kerswill, English teacher, Simon Balle School

“I really enjoyed being able have the opportunity to take part in the poetry session with Daljit Nagra. Being an English student, I found the session incredibly informative and it was a great learning experience being able to hear a writer talk so fondly about a passion of theirs. It was really interesting to hear from Daljit directly about his thoughts surrounding his poem 'Singh song!' especially as I previously had studied this during my GCSEs. I loved getting to take part in fun, interactive elements such as writing my own short poem as well as hearing other students read theirs. I had a lovely afternoon and I would definitely recommend !”

PP

“A wonderful insight into the creative mind of an award-winning poet! This fantastic poetry session-organised by Ware Poets-is a great opportunity for any aspiring poets to learn about what goes into a successful and emotive poem such as those written by guest poet, Daljit Nagra. This was an incredibly engaging experience where the audience were encouraged to pursue their own interest in poetry. Throughout, the audience were encouraged to write their own works for poetry, inspired by Nagra or other notable poet’s works, helping build the participant’s confidence in their own writing. He also prompted attendees to share their own poems written at the session with partners or the whole group, allowing them to receive feedback to improve their poetry and to help them build courage to do so in their future endeavours. Additionally, the audience was given time at the end to ask questions about Nagra and his works; such as questions on the how he gets inspired to write about his own experiences and his creative process for writing his poems. Nagra is an enthusiastic and extremely engaging poet who has inspired all that attended. Many thanks to Ware Poets for organising this brilliant event!”

LM

“The poetry session with Daljit Nagra combined readings of his most notable poems with information on his writing process, a chance to write our own poems and a Q&A to finish. Personally, I found the most interesting part of this session was finding out about how his poetry often changed concepts altogether, beginning as a simple idea then realising he could create something much more concept or could relate to something else entirely. His poetry workshop allowed us to create our own poetry in just a few minutes, giving a glimpse at the beginning of his writing process, how it can begin as something simple and later to develop into his most praised poetry. Going forward, I will take this process into account when reading his poetry.”

“I attended the poetry session, organised by Ware Poets, to see Daljit Nagra. He was an incredibly passionate speaker, interesting and engaging to listen to, with his love of what he does coming through in every word. We listened to a small selection of his poems and he discussed the meaning behind them and what inspired him to write each one. Furthermore, parts of the session were interactive, where we had the chance to write our own poems based on his own, and listened and discussed these with each other. One of which was a poem simply entitled “Things that don’t suck”, and it really showed me the array of poetry and the absolute freedom you have in writing, and further illustrated the point that poetry does not have to be overly complicated to be successful. He discussed his writing process, and how different things have inspired him throughout his life, even what first introduced him to the world of poetry. This was an invaluable session that I really enjoyed being a part of, and a great experience.”

AH

“The poetry afternoon we spent with Daljit Nagra at Ware, in my opinion, was an incredibly useful experience. We had the opportunity to hear some of his poetry in which he has written, have a go at writing our own and ask him some of our questions about a range of topics. While Daljit was reading his own work, we were able to gain an understanding of how he intended his poetry to be read and taken in by the audience. We could listen to more of his work other than the specific poems we study as part of our curriculum which allowed us to appreciate his talent more. Through attempting to write our own versions of a couple popular poems of his, we were given the chance to explore our creative skills and broaden our poetic knowledge. We shared ideas too which meant we could appreciate each other's poetry. When we were able to ask Daljit Nagra some of our questions, it meant we could see more of his insight towards literature and poetry. I felt that this was very helpful and inspiring for literature students like myself.”

“the poetry session with Daljit Nagra was really interesting because it helped me understand his poems better. before the session, i found some of his poems quite confusing, especially because of the language he uses and how he writes about identity and culture. however hearing him explaing his ideas made the poems easier to understand. one thing i enjoyed was how he went through some of the poems he has written and explained how he uses different techniques to help show the poem and story. i also liked how Daljit Nagra answered our questions and explained what inspired him to write his poems. it helped me understand that poets often use their own experiences to create their work. i realised tha tpoems can have different meanings depending on how you understand them. overall i think the session was helpful and enjoyable because it gave me a better understanding of poetry. it also helped me feel more confident when analysing poems in lessons. i really enjoyed the experience and learned alot from it.”

CE

“Our recent poetry session with Daljit Nagra felt like a masterclass in linguistics. His fiery passion for poetry was clear and concise to all students that were present. Nagra dived into the depths of his main concepts of most of his poems including his overall punglish language used throughout all and his dual heritage of British and Punjabi. To help students fully appreciate his journey, Nagra bridged his session together by contextualising his earlier celebrated works. He reflected on his comic brilliance of "Singh Song!", a piece recognised from the GCSE syllabus. He explained how those earlier works used exaggerated, phonetically spelled Punjabi- English to challenge anti-immigrant rhetoric and celebrate the vibrancy of corner shop culture. During our session, Nagra incorporated the fun activities of making our own poem. We constructed this poem based on what you personally liked and perhaps couldn't live without. After we wrote our own poems, some were given the chance to publically read them out. This whole experience was so surreal with the way we explore the inspirations a poet has, the experience one builds and how long it actually takes to construct a poem worthy of not just your readers, but of your self.”