Book, poetry and spoken word events in London this week
Wednesday: Alice Oswald has created a new version of The Iliad and will be talking about it at the Southbank Centre (7.45pm, £10).
It's a night for women writers of all genres at the Poetry Cafe with Agnes Meadow and Loose Muse (8pm, £5 / £3).
Templar Poets Christopher James, Matt Bryden and Jane Weir welcome you to The Compass in Islington (7.30pm, free).
Thursday: Share your crappest date at the Big Green Bookshop with Crap Dates author Rhodri Marsden (7pm, free).
Come Rhyme With Me takes over London Liming at Rich Mix (8pm, £7 / £5), as hosts Dean Atta, Deanna Rodger and Melanie Abrahams ask round Inua Ellams, FLOetic Lara, Jasmine Cooray, James Massiah and Dougie Hastings.
Neil Roberts and James Byrne discuss poet Peter Redgrove at the London Review Bookshop (7pm, £7), joined by his widow Penelope Shuttle.
Nathan Penlington and Christian Watson are the Bang Said the Gun guests at The Roebuck (8pm, £5).
Poet Lavinia Greenlaw is in conversation with Granta Magazine's Ted Hodgkinson at Lutyens & Rubinstein (7pm, £5).
Deborah Levy and Rosalind Harvey talk about writing and translating at Dulwich Books (7pm, free).
Be in the audience for Kate Tempest's new spoken word album as it's recorded at Battersea Arts Centre (8.30pm, £10 / £6). Scroobius Pip and Hollie McNish guest.
Sean Bonney, Jennifer Cooke, Emily Critchley, Angharad Davies, Andrew Spragg and Jonty Tiplady are the writers, performers and musicians appearing at POLYply 16 near Kings Cross (7pm, free).
Friday: Toppermost poet Elvis McGonagall has put together a night of love with Apples and Snakes: joining him in Southfields are Ardella Jones and Mia Jerome (7.30pm, £5 / £4).
The stories of the Royal Libraries are told at the British Library, by Kathleen Doyle, John Goldfinch and Jane Roberts (6.30pm, £7.50 / £5).
Linda Black reads from Root, her collection of prose poems, at Friday Night Writers (6.30pm, free).
Peter Hayhoe's the featured poet at open mic night Poetry Jam at Richmond's Tea Box (8pm, free).
John Paul O'Neill hosts a loving Farrago SLAM at the Poetry Cafe with Hamza Beg, Francis Labiran, Amy McAllister, Kemi Taiwo, Stephanie Dogfoot Chan, Cecilia Knapp and Katrina Quinn (7.30pm).
Saturday: Revel in the romance of the handwritten love letter, with Anne Sebba and Andrea Clarke at the British Library (2.30pm, £7.50 / £5).
24 poets pair up at Rich Mix for Maintenant Camarade (7pm, free) to examine the limits of what poetry can achieve. Performers include Chris McCabe, Sam Riviere, Sean Bonney, Carrie Etter and Todd Swift.
Sunday: Daljit Nagra heads to Selfridges for their Words Words Words season, to show you how to write a poem (1-3pm, free).
There are funny tales of love from Storytellers' Club at the Pleasance (8pm, £8 / £6). Robin & Partridge, Meryl O'Rourke, Danielle Ward, Chris Coltrane and Sarah Bennetto are your romantic souls.
Anthony Joseph, G.R.E.E.Ds, Indigo Williams, Keith Jarrett and Kersha Bailey are hip to Jumoke Fashola's Jazz Verse Jukebox at Ronnie Scott's (7.30pm, £8).
Take a Chill Pill with Mr Gee, Raymond Antrobus, Deanna Rodger and Simon Mole at the Arcola Theatre (6pm, £5).
Monday: The Southbank Centre has put together a fantastic programme of children's events for half term: today, Young Samurai author Chris Bradford launches his new book Ring of Wind (and does some martial arts) at 11am (£8 / £4) and wonderful performance poet Laura Dockrill delves into Roald Dahl's rhymes in a free event at 11am, 1pm and 3pm (you'll need to reserve a place).
Daljit Nagra is back at Selfridges for another Faber poetry workshop (4-7pm, free). Get there early and check out the Living Paintings tactile storytelling sessions.
The Book Stops Here welcomes Katy Darby, Olivia Laing and Elizabeth Day for some readings and fun at this free party night (8pm).
Richard Tyrone Jones, Katrina Naomi and Paul Taylor with his trombone poetry are Talking Rhythm! at The Amersham Arms at the behest of Bernadette Reed and Jazzman John Clarke (7.30pm, free).
Tuesday: It's a literary date night at Liar's League – as well as hearing new writing performed by actors, email them by Sunday and they'll set you up with a fellow attendee... (7.30pm, £5).
Storyteller Nell Phoenix describes ways to find your perfect partner, at Selfridges (6pm, free).
It's open mic night at the Poetry Cafe with Niall O'Sullivan and Poetry Unplugged (7.30pm, £5 / £4).
Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events
