POETRY is one of the most expressive and emotional art forms, often declared as the language of the heart.

Whether you are a fan (or not) of a contemporary colossus such as the witty and observational, Roger McGough, Nobel Prize winning Seamus Heaney, punk poet John Cooper Clarke, Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, or Romantics like William Wordsworth or Samuel Taylor Coleridge, there's a good chance that at some stage of your earthly existence you've been touched by the rhymes and rhythms of poetry.

This weekend, Abbot Hall Art Gallery and the Brewery Arts Centre, open their respective doors to the first Kendal Poetry Festival.

A fresh chapter for the town adding yet another entertaining element to its constantly growing cultural calendar.

The lyrical forces behind the festival are its co-directors, Kim Moore and Pauline Yarwood, two members of the esteemed Brewery Poets, a enthusiastic bunch of wordsmiths who gather monthly at the Brewery to workshop their cleverly crafted stanzas.

Pauline, poet and ceramic artist, was born in Cumbria and grew up in Manchester, and has taught English and ceramics in various spots around the UK.

She now lives in the Lyth Valley where she writes, makes pots and gardens in a boggy garden next to the River Gilpin.

Her poems have appeared in The North, The Interpreter’s House and Fire Crane. In 2013 she was mentored by the poet Judy Brown at the Wordsworth Trust, and in the same year collaborated with the artist Kate Bentley to write a short series of poems for the catalogue of her exhibition Skyline. She's been guest poet for A Poem and a Pint, April Poets in Lancaster, and at Zeffirellis in Ambleside.

Kim's first full length poetry collection The Art of Falling was published by Seren in 2015. A poem from the collection was shortlisted for the Forward Prize. Her pamphlet If We Could Speak Like Wolves was a winner in the 2012 Poetry Business Pamphlet Competition, and went on to be shortlisted for the Lakeland Book of the Year, the Michael Marks Award and named in The Independent as a Book of the Year.

Kim lives in Barrow and divides her time between working part-time as a peripatetic brass teacher for Cumbria Music Service, and working as a freelance writer, running workshops and performing at festivals. She is a member of Brewery Poets and blogs at www.kimmoorepoet.wordpress.com.

"Last year, we decided to raise the profile of contemporary poetry in Kendal and began to think about launching a poetry festival," explained Pauline. "Kendal is rapidly establishing a reputation as a cultural hub and festival town, and now seemed like a good time."

They applied for funding from the Sir John Fisher Foundation and the Arts Council and were successful on both counts. However, they only found out they'd got the green light on a grant in January when Pauline was away in Australia.

"It’s been a frantic few months but everything is now in place for the first ever Kendal Poetry Festival."

The main events will be held at Abbot Hall, with one of the writing workshops linked to the Laura Ford's Seen Unseen sculpture exhibition, which is running at the Kendal gallery.

"We have a programme of readings, workshops, discussions and open mics involving national and international poets. In addition, Dove Cottage Young Poets, a workshop group linked to the Wordsworth Trust and run by Kim Moore, all of whom are from Kendal secondary schools and sixth forms, will performing alongside the main readers. This is a wonderful opportunity for these young writers. Hannah Hodgson is our Young Poet-in-Residence and we have a Young Musician-in -Residence, David Griffiths, of Ulverston, who will be performing during the festival."

Added Pauline: "We’ve been stunned by the reaction and support from audiences and local writers."

And so to the festival line-up.

Two of several star turns will be Jane Routh and Andrew Forster.

Jane has published three full collections of poetry: Circumnavigation won the Poetry Business Competition and was shortlisted for a Forward prize.

Former Wordsworth Trust literature officer, Andrew's Fear of Thunder was shortlisted for the 2008 Forward Prize for Best First Collection and his highly acclaimed third collection Homecoming was in the running for last year's Lakeland Book of the Year. His finely honed verse is so highly thought of that his poems are included in the GCSE syllabus.

Jane will be in conversation with Andrew at Abbot Hall from 5pm-5.45pm on Friday (June 24), covering Nature Poetry in a Time of Crisis, followed by the Festival Launch at 6.30pm and Main Reading session from Helen Mort and Mir Mahfuz Ali, from 7.30pm-9pm.

Other well known poets featured include one of the UK's most dynamic and powerful poets, Clare Shaw, who appears on Saturday (June 25) at Abbot Hall from 2pm-3.30pm in a bill that also includes Hilda Sheehan and two Dove Cottage Young Poets, Bethany Latham and Hannah Hodgson.

Tutors, distinguished writers and directors of Sheffield's The Poetry Business, Peter and Ann Sansom, are also included on the Saturday bill at Abbot Hall (7pm-8.30pm); Ann Wilson hosts a Verbalise Open Mic session at the Brewery later that night (8.30pm) and prize-winning poet Fiona Sampson is among Sunday's exciting voices reading from their literary works. She will give a talk about her forthcoming prose on Mary Shelley (11.45am-12.45pm) and read from her new poetic collection The Catch during the Main Reading session at Abbot Hall (2pm-4pm).

For tickets and full details contact the Brewery box office on 01539-725133.