VACANCIES
NEXT GENERATION POETS
PROJECT COORDINATOR
PROJECT FEE: £32,000 over an 18-month contract from July 2026 to December 2027.
DAILY RATE: 1 day a week (or equivalent hours) at £250 per day from July-Sept 2026 for the initial development stage and up to 2 days a week (or equivalent hours) for the delivery stage until December 2027.
CONTRACT: This is a fixed-term freelance contract, funded through an Arts Council England Major Projects Grant and other partner funders, to deliver this standalone Next Generation Poets project.
LOCATION: The PBS is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, but this is a remote freelance role. The post holder will be required to work some evenings and weekends to deliver key UK events, as part of the contracted project fee. Travel and accommodation will be covered separately.
REPORTS TO: Inpress & PBS Managing Director and PBS Manager
RESPONSIBLE FOR: Next Generation Poets Admin Assistant
ABOUT NEXT GENERATION POETS
The Poetry Book Society are seeking a highly experienced literature producer to coordinate their ambitious Next Generation Poets project. Next Generation Poets (NGP) celebrates the 20 best debut poets of the decade and has previously launched the careers of Simon Armitage, Daljit Nagra and Kae Tempest. Now in its 4th decade and marking the Poetry Book Society’s 10th anniversary in Newcastle upon Tyne, Next Generation Poets has been awarded an Arts Council Major Projects Grant to deliver this ambitious new chapter. NGP will be a major celebration of UK & Irish debut poets, raising the profile of poetry nationally and on the global stage. You can watch a film clip of the last NGP tour here.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Next Generation Poets Project Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring the smooth-running of the project, coordinating the final judging stages and delivering a pre-planned programme of 20 events for the 20 poets of the decade. This includes large-scale event production for major launches at Durham Book Festival and the Southbank Centre, plus confirmed NGP poetry events from South Shields to Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Poetry Centre (Leeds), Manchester Poetry Library, National Writers Centre (Norwich) and internationally at Kolkata Poetry Festival (India) and Shakespeare and Company (Paris). Working closely with the Inpress & PBS MD, the PBS Manager and NGP Admin Assistant, the NGP Project Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating this world-class celebration of Next Generation Poets.
WORKING PATTERN
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced freelance literature producer. The post-holder will ideally start in July 2026 for approx. 1 day a week (or equivalent hours) during the initial project development stage and approx. 2 days a week (or equivalent hours) during the project delivery stage. Days to be worked will be agreed to meet the needs of the project, PBS and the employee, in consultation with the PBS & Inpress MD and PBS Manager. Payment will be made monthly, upon receipt of an invoice for pre-agreed days (max. 2 days per week, up to the fixed 18-month project fee of £32,000).
PROJECT TIMELINE
JULY-DEC 2026: DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Oversee prize submissions through to final judging in December 2026, finalise partner and event logistics, prepare NGP website and education resources.
JAN – OCTOBER 2027: DELIVERY STAGE: Brief the PR & marketing company, finalise event details, prepare risk assessments, contracts, surveys. Deliver the 20 pre-programmed events.
NOV-DEC 2027: EVALUATION STAGE: Collate surveys, audience data and evaluate outcomes.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
- Candidates must have 3+ years of event production experience and submit a portfolio demonstrating evidence of delivering large-scale book events or author tours across multiple venues at a national or international level
- Highly organised with an attention to detail to ensure the smooth-running of NGP
- Exceptional communicator, able to report to a team and partners at a strategic level
- Capable of working independently with excellent time management skills
- Experience of line management
- Able to problem-solve under pressure and troubleshoot live event issues calmly
- Proven track-record of coordinating successful projects with multiple stakeholders
- Knowledge, interest and enthusiasm for contemporary poetry and publishing
- Experience of producing education resources or delivering KS4+ outreach
- Experience of working with ecommerce websites (Shopify)
- Familiarity with using marketing tools such as Indesign, Photoshop and Mailchimp
- Knowledge of event health and safety procedures, including writing risk assessments
- Experience of working on funded projects (ACE or other) and overseeing budgets
- Experience of evaluation, able to analyse audience data and write reports for funders
- Demonstrate a clear commitment to delivering this project at the highest standard
KEY TASKS Include but are not limited to the following
Prize Coordination:
- Coordinate the final judging process to select the 20 debut poets of the decade
- Communicate key information to selected poets, PR, publishers and partners
- Maintain the project timeline meticulously to keep everything on track
Event Production & Outreach:
- Liaise with poets, publishers and venue-partners to successfully deliver a pre-planned programme of 20 events for the 20 poets of the decade
- Work with partners to produce major North and South launches at Durham Book Festival and Southbank Centre with ten poets, BSL, audio captioning, live-streaming
- Finalise all event logistics and operational aspects to onsite event delivery
- Front of House responsibility for key UK events on the tour and author care
- Prepare risk assessments, DBS checks and safeguarding procedures
- Ensure all events are delivered safely, on time and to an exceptional standard
- Coordinate contracts, poets’ travel, visas, hotels (with Admin Assistant support)
- Including two overseas bookings at Kolkata Poetry Festival (India) and Shakespeare and Company (Paris)
- Coordinate the NGP Mentorship scheme in collaboration with the Writing Squad
- Develop NGP Young Critics in partnership with the Young Poets Network
- Work with the British Council to develop NGP international library promotions
- Liaise with CYP partners & education specialists to produce KS4+ outreach resources
Website, PR & Marketing:
- Work with the appointed PR company (FMcM) to maximise press coverage for NGP
- Prepare e-newsletters to support the PR company’s digital marketing & social media
- Work with event partners and PR company to boost ticket sales for all events
- Design any additional print marketing to promote NGP (e.g. programmes, POS, fliers)
- Develop the Next Generation Poets website and upload engaging online content
- Work with a filmmaker and podcaster to produce additional NGP content
- Liaise with publishers and booksellers to support trade sales for all selected poets
Project Evaluation & Reporting:
- Oversee the project budget and meticulously monitor costs
- Supervise the Admin Assistant in tracking payment of invoices with Inpress Finance
- Produce feedback surveys for all events and detailed project evaluation
- Prepare written reports and collate statistics on project outcomes for key funders
- Report weekly online to PBS & Inpress MD and PBS Manager
HOW TO APPLY:
Please submit your CV with a short supporting statement (1 page max) demonstrating why you are suitable for the role to enquiries@poetrybooksociety.co.uk. All candidates must also submit a portfolio showing evidence of event production at this scale (5 pages max, Powerpoint, word doc or pdf).
Applications open: 9th June (9am BST)
Deadline: 19th June (5pm BST)
Shortlisted applicants will be notified by Fri 26th June
Interviews will be held w/c 29th June (online)
Start Date: July 2026
If you’d like an informal discussion about the role and potential work pattern, please email enquiries@poetrybooksociety.co.uk.
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PBS & NEXT GENERATION POETS
ADMIN ASSISTANT
PROJECT FEE: £14,000 over an 18-month contract from July 2026 to December 2027.
DAILY RATE: Up to 1.5 days a week (or equivalent hours) at £120 per day.
CONTRACT: This is a fixed-term freelance contract, funded through an Arts Council England Major Projects Grant and other partner funders, to deliver this standalone Next Generation Poets project.
LOCATION: This role will be based at the PBS office in Newcastle upon Tyne. You may be required to work some evenings and weekends to assist at key UK events, as part of the contracted project fee. Travel and accommodation will be covered separately.~~
REPORT TO: NGP Project Coordinator, Inpress & PBS Managing Director and PBS Manager.
ABOUT NEXT GENERATION POETS
Next Generation Poets (NGP) celebrates the 20 best debut poets of the decade and has launched the careers of poets such as Simon Armitage, Daljit Nagra and Kae Tempest. Now in its 4th decade and marking the Poetry Book Society’s 10th anniversary in Newcastle upon Tyne, Next Generation Poets has been awarded an Arts Council Major Projects Grant to deliver this ambitious new chapter. NGP will be a major celebration of UK & Irish debut poets, raising the profile of poetry nationally and on the global stage. You can watch a film clip of the last NGP tour here to get a sense of the scale of this project.
JOB DESCRIPTION The Poetry Book Society is seeking a highly organised Admin Assistant to join their busy Newcastle office and support the Next Generation Poets Project Coordinator to ensure the smooth-running administration of this ambitious project.
WORKING PATTERN The post-holder will ideally start in July 2026 for approx. 1.5 days a week (or equivalent hours) for the duration of the 18-month project. Days to be worked will be agreed to meet the needs of the project, PBS and the employee, in consultation with the NGP Coordinator, PBS & Inpress MD and PBS Manager. Payment will be made monthly, upon receipt of an invoice for pre-agreed days (max. 1.5 days per week, up to the fixed 18-month project fee of £14,000).
PERSON SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL:
- A positive can-do attitude
- A highly organised multi-tasker who is self-motivated and a good team player
- Excellent customer service manner when dealing with email and phone enquiries
- Experience of processing, tracking, collating invoices and accurate record keeping
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office, Word, Outlook, Excel and Teams
DESIRABLE:
- Knowledge of e-commerce websites and CRM databases
- Familiarity with basic marketing tools such as Canva or Adobe Express
- An aptitude for collating data
- An interest in poetry and publishing
KEY TASKS Include but are not limited to the following
Prize Administration:
- Ensure the smooth-running of the Next Generation Poets prize submission admin
- Assist with any poet or publisher submission enquiries via phone and email
- Help the Project Coordinator prepare judging packs
- Assist judges with troubleshooting issues and arrange any hard copy call-ins
- Assist the Project Coordinator in preparing poet packs (selection info, media info)
Event Administration:
- Support the Project Coordinator in all admin logistics for the NGP events tour
- Book trains and accommodation, collate invoices and pay poet fees
- Assist with arranging book sales for events or in-person bookstalls, when necessary
- Troubleshoot any event enquiries, in consultation with Project Coordinator
- Help collate DBS checks, risk assessments, surveys and stats in accordance with GDPR
Marketing:
- Assist with uploading engaging content to the Next Generation Poets website
- Assist with processing PBS memberships and website book sales
- Support Project Coordinator in booking filming and podcasting for NGPs
- Assist with circulating educational resources to partners and school networks
- Collate marketing materials (bios, pics, judges’ comments) for PR company
- Support the PR company with delivering their digital marketing content schedule
- Maintain database, CRM and marketing information in accordance with GDPR
Reporting:
- Processing, tracking and collating invoices
- Assist with preparing surveys for all events and collating data for reporting
- Report to the NGP Project Coordinator and wider PBS team weekly
HOW TO APPLY: Please submit your CV with a short supporting statement (1 page max) demonstrating why you are suitable for the role to enquiries@poetrybooksociety.co.uk
Applications open: 9th June (9am BST)
Deadline: 19th June (5pm BST)
Shortlisted applicants will be notified by Fri 26th June
Interviews will be held w/c 29th June (online)
Start Date: July 2026
We are committed to supporting diversity in our workforce and ensuring an inclusive environment where all individuals can succeed. We encourage applications from all and seek to employ a workforce representative of the publishers and markets that we serve.
