ONLY weeks to go before prominent poetic voices from far and wide head for Abbot Hall Art Gallery for the second Kendal Poetry Festival.

Running from Friday-Sunday, June 16-18, inspired festival co-directors Kim Moore and Pauline Yarwood have put together another superb line-up of poets following on from last year's hugely successful inaugural event.

All are welcome to the Festival Launch on the Friday (June 16, 6.30pm-7pm) at Abbot Hall Art Gallery. Opened by Michael McGregor, director of the Wordsworth Trust, in the spotlight for the grand gathering will be a reading from festival young poet in residence Florence Jones, and a performance by young musician in residence, Sam Nicholls.

Also, following the launch, Hannah Lowe will be reading from her second collection Chan. Hannah's poems weave together stories of famous jazz musicians and family members, exploring issues of immigration, poverty and different ways of looking at borders. In 2014, Hannah was named as one of 20 Next Generation poets.

The event also includes highly rated William Letford, a roofer by trade, who writes about the ordinary world from a unique perspective. Well known for his electrifying readings, he focuses on his second collection Dirt. Dove Cottage Young Poets Emily Humble and Seren Parkman will also wax lyrical alongside Hannah and William.

As part of the highly anticipated festival, two poetry workshops will be held at Kendal's Shakespeare Centre, and an open mic session will be staged at the Brewery Arts Centre.

The rest of the festival will be at the Abbot Hall, as last year.

One of the main readings on festival Saturday (11am-1pm) includes Chrissy Williams, launching her first full-length collection Bear. Her poetry is surreal, strange and completely original, inviting readers and listeners to look at life in a different way. Reading alongside Chrissy is Inua Ellams, well-known for his powerful performances and exploration of issues around masculinity and immigration.

Born in Nigeria, Inua Ellams is a poet, playwright and performer, graphic artist and designer. His creative work has been recognised with a number of awards, most recently, the Live Canon International Poetry Prize, an Arts Council of England Award, a Wellcome Trust Award, twice shortlisted for the Brunel Prize for African Poetry, longlisted for the Alfred Fagan Award, and a 2009 Edinburgh Fringe First Award.

Chrissy and Inua will be joined by Emily Asquith and Emily-Megan Foster of Dove Cottage Young Poets.

Among the Sunday's events is Discussion: The Poetic Line, from noon-1pm with prizewinning Linda Gregerson, one of America's most original and exciting contemporary poets, who asks what is it that constitutes the poetic line? Is it a unit of thought? Of musical phrasing? Of tension between the expectations of syntax and the subversions of the figurative imagination? Linda will be looking at examples from both ends of the spectrum and inviting people to think with her about the defining aptitudes of this most basic of poetic building blocks.

Linda is the author of six collections of poetry and two volumes of criticism.

Later on Sunday, from 2pm-4pm, is the day's main reading, featuring highly regarded UK poet Ian Duhig. Known for his humorous yet thought-provoking performances, Ian will be reading from his latest collection The Blind Roadmaker. Linda Gregerson also features, reading from her most recent collection Prodigal: New and Selected Poems. Linda and Ian will be joined by two Dove Cottage Young Poets Heather Hughes and Sophie Hansen, the young poet in residence Florence Jones, and the young musician in residence, Sam Nicholls.

For full festival details visit kendalpoetryfestival.co.uk.

All tickets can be booked through the Brewery Arts Centre box office, online, by telephone or in person.