Swansea's poetic beat at the Dylan Thomas Centre

In 2009 Carol Ann Duffy became the first female Poet Laureate

Backing up the notion that Wales is a place for poets, the Dylan Thomas Centre is putting poetry at the heart of its live offerings.

This poetic season will feature the Poet Laureate, the National Poet of Wales and some of Britain's well known practitioners of the art.

It starts with a contribution from Scottish poet Don Paterson.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he was awarded an OBE in 2008.

Poetic facts In 2008 Gillian Clarke succeeded Professor Gwyn Thomas as the third National Poet of Wales Carol Ann Duffy studied philosophy in Liverpool Don Paterson moved to London in 1984 to work as a jazz musician, and began writing poetry around the same time

National Poetry Day

In 2010 he was given the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, an honour awarded to some of our most eminent writers.

The Gold Medal for Poetry, which is struck by the Royal Mint and paid for by the Queen, has previously been granted to W. H. Auden, John Betjeman, Philip Larkin, Stevie Smith and Ted Hughes.

Mr Paterson, who teaches poetry at the University of St Andrews, will lead an open seminar-style workshop at the Dylan Thomas Centre on Sunday, 26 September.

And to mark National Poetry Day, one of Wales leading poets, Paul Henry will be visiting the centre.

Reading with him on Thursday, 7 October will be Swansea poet and teacher Richard James Jones, who is working with Paul under the Academi's mentoring scheme for talented young writers.

And on Friday, 10 December the National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy will read and discuss their work.

Gillian Clarke became National Poet of Wales in 2008 while Carol Ann Duffy became Poet Laureate the following year.

Since then, she has written on subjects as disparate as the parliamentary expenses scandal, the volcanic ash cloud, and David Beckham's injured heel.