LEDBURY Poetry Festival, The Feathers Hotel and The University of Worcester have formed a partnership to bring one of the most exciting poets writing today over from the States for this year’s poetry festival, which runs from July 4 to 13.

Sharon Olds has been in the headlines recently having won both the Pulitzer Prize in the States and the TS Eliot prize in the UK for her collection Stag’s Leap, about the painful break up of her marriage, which has been described by The Guardian as the most remarkable collection of her career. She attracts huge audiences in the States but is less well-known in the UK, something the festival is aiming to remedy.

Festival director Chloe Garner says: "It is a real coup for the Festival that Sharon has accepted our invitation. She is hot property at the moment and has an extremely busy schedule. We couldn’t have even approached her if it weren't for the support of The Feathers who have agreed to sponsorship in kind by offering accommodation, and the University of Worcester who are paying her fee," says festival director Chloe Garner, adding: "We do need the support of such organisations if the festival is going to continue to attract the best poets from an international field."