Report Arts Humanities Literature

Research Report: 'Distinctiveness in the Poetry Activity of the Leeds City Region'

Working with the National Poetry Centre on this project, I mapped and analysed community-based poetry across the Leeds City Region. This reflective report shares key insights, community impact, and next steps for strengthening Leeds’ poetry network.

Oct 31, 2025

Ekaterina Keyzerova

Student, University of Leeds

Liked by Tess Hornsby Smith (she/her)

I would like to thank the Laidlaw Foundation for the funding and for allowing me to conduct this research. I am also grateful to my project supervisor, Professor John Whale, as well as Nick Barley and Emily Penn at the National Poetry Centre, for their guidance, support and mentorship during this project.

Disclaimer: This research is not intended to be exhaustive. I do not wish to leave anyone out; however, given the scope and time frame of a six-week research project, it was not possible to capture every individual or organisation active within the Leeds poetry scene.

Ekaterina Keyzerova (She/Her)

Student, University of Leeds

Hi!

I’m Katya, a third-year English and French student at the University of Leeds and part of the 2025/26 Laidlaw Scholar cohort, currently completing my LiA in Auckland, New Zealand.

My research project topic last summer was titled ‘Distinctiveness in the Poetry Activity of the Leeds City Region’. I worked in partnership with the National Poetry Centre to conduct interviews with key stakeholders in the poetry scene, which allowed me to draw conclusions about the levels of connectivity and accessibility of poetry in Leeds.

I’m originally from Russia but moved to Slovenia for political reasons when I was 15, then to the UK at 19, and just completed an academic year abroad in Canada, so I’ve had a fair share of adapting to new places. Moving countries meant leaving behind everything I knew, including eight years of acrobatic gymnastics, but it also helped me become more open to change. I see each new chapter as a chance to grow, connect, and tell meaningful stories.

Outside of uni, you’ll probably find me at the gym (a post-acrobatics obsession), with my nose in a book, or planning my next trip—I’ve been to 36 countries so far and don’t plan on slowing down!