Video: Simon Armitage and John Cooper Clarke to perform at Latitude Festival 2015 as Poetry Arena line-up is announced

Headline acts in the stunning grounds of Henham Park, near Southwold, include Simon Armitage and Dr John Cooper Clarke.

Performers include: Michael Rosen; Blake Morrison; National Youth Theatre; Nick Helm; Eddie Argos; The Last Poets with special guests; Sabrina Mahfouz; Greeds; Antony Anaxagorou; Luke Wright; Ross Sutherland; Simon Mole; Rob Auton; Mark Grist; Tim Clare; Grace Savage and The Paperbirds; Francesca Beard; Mike Garry; Homework; Brigitte Aphrodite; Sophie Rose; Steve Larkin; Clare Pollard; A Firm of Poets; Jemima Foxtrot; Hannah Silva; Molly Naylor; Ben Norris; Rosy Carrick; Bohdan Piaceski; Deanna Rodger; Raymond Antrobus; Rachel Pantechnicon; Bac Beatbox Academy; Martin Figura; Joel Stickley; Tommy Sissons; Andrew McMillan; Rhian Edwards; James Grady; Emma Jones; Bridget Minamore; Michelle Madsen.

The festival takes place from Thursday, July 16 to Sunday, July 19.

Organisers said the Poetry Arena was at the heart of Latitude's mission to bring arts and music together and has showcased the very best in stand up, beat poets, laureates and literary legends.

As host and co-programmer of the Latitude Festival's Poetry Arena, Luke Wright has worked with Tania Harrison to turn Latitude into one of the largest poetry events in Europe.

Mr Wright will preview his new Edinburgh show, What I Learned From Johnny Bevan at the festival this year.

This is his first full-length theatre piece, written and performed in visceral, punchy poetry with music by Ian Catskilken from Art Brut.

Mr Wright said: 'I've been involved with Latitude since the first year in 2006.

'It's been great to see it grow from a leftfield idea for a new festival into one of the UK's major cultural events.

'I'm really proud to have played a small role in an event that has launched hundreds of new pieces of art into the world and been the meeting place for so many amazing artists.'

Already announced as a headliner of the Latitude 2015 Poetry Arena will be the former laureate and award winning poet Simon Armitage CBE, described by Poetry Review as 'the front man of his generation' who will read from Walking Away, the sequel to his Sunday Times bestselling Walking Home.

Star and creator of Radio 4's Late Night Poetry Programme, Tim Key is as a poet, actor, comic and film star, appearing as Alan Partridge's sidekick in Mid-Morning Matters and Alpha Papa. A brilliant poet and Edinburgh Perrier Award winner, we are delighted he will be joining us in the Poetry Arena this year.

Children's favourite and recently appointed professor of Children's Literature at Goldsmiths and presenter of Word of Mouth on Radio 4, Michael Rosen joins the celebrations. Number one poet of the parents, Michael was the subject of a recent viral campaign to hire him as Education Minister and last year packed the Poetry Arena to the rafters.

Punk Rock legend, performance poet and Latitude favourite; the inimitable Doctor John Cooper Clarke is expected to bring a new collection of poetry. A seminal influence on punk and the voice of Manchester and beat poets everywhere, expect a ferociously funny performance.

Smashing into the Poetry Arena to read his latest poems will be BBC Three's 'Uncle' writer and star Nick Helm, with his hilarious and confrontational stand up style.

Joining these names will be a fantastic line up of exciting new artists announced today, with a mix of poetry heavyweights and some of the brightest new young performers on the scene.

Revealed today for Latitude 2015 is Blake Morrison, who will be reading from Shingle Street' his first poetry collection 'to be published in 30 years! One of Britain's most inventive and accomplished contemporary poets, he has won both the Somerset Maugham Award and The Dylan Thomas Award and with all of the poems in Shingle Street written about the coastline of Suffolk, his performance will be the perfect way to get into the Latitude spirit.

Cited with single handily creating hip-hop, The Last Poets are a collective of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African-American civil rights movement's Black Nationalist movement.

Reformed numerous times, the collective have collaborated with Wu Tang Clan and Kanye West. At Latitude Last Poets Umar Bin Hassan, Abiodun Oyewole and Babatunde will invite British poets Sabrina Mahfouz, GREEdS and Antony Anaxagorou to perform as part of the collective.

Latitude bosses say they are hugely excited to announce that the National Youth Theatre will be bringing their brand new production of Carol Ann Duffy's famous poetry collection The World's Wife to Latitude this year. The wives of the great, the good and the not so good, will set the history books straight with wry wit and some subversive secrets.

Britain's poet Laureate gives voice to wives, lovers and sisters from history and mythology. Meet Frau Freud, Mrs Midas, Anne Hathaway and Medusa – who want to tell you their side of their husbands' stories.

Carol Ann Duffy's poetry collection The World's Wife has been abridged for stage by the award-winning National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and Alice Knight, recipient of the 2014 Bryan Forbes NYT REP Directors Bursary and will be performed by Britain's best young female theatrical talent.

Ross Sutherland shot to fame in 2005, as part of Aisle16′s Poetry Boyband (alongside Latitude's Luke Wright) playing more than 200 UK venues and winning Time Out's Critic's Choice of the Year.

He was named as one of The Times newspapers Top Ten Literary Stars of 2008.

His poetry has been commissioned by John Betjeman's estate, the London Science Museum, The Future of the Book, ADIDAS and BBC Radio 3 and 4.

He is also the winner of numerous poetry slams including the Apples & Snakes North Vs South slam, the Second's Out Slam and the Farrago UK Vs Canada Slam.

This year's Poetry Arena line up will feature some really exciting stand up and theatre collaborations including:

Grace Savage the UK's leading female beatboxer, will bring a stunning new performance devised with The Paper Birds Theatre Company to Latitude 2015. Acting as a mouthpiece for young women today, Grace will explore the life, journey and experiences of a visually impaired young woman.

Brigitte Aphrodite will perform her poetry rock musical My Beautiful Black Dog, exploring the difficult and beauteous complexity of depression and mental health.

Sophie Rose is one of the most exciting emerging stand-up poets in the UK and will bring her new show Quiet Violence, fast, physical and full of anarchic poetry.

Described by the Guardian as 'comedy's Brian Cox' and with fans including Daniel Kitson and Scroobius Pip, Rob Auton is one of the most exciting new names to hit the poetry scene in recent years. Rob will be bringing his new show 'The Water Show' to Latitude. Miss it at your peril!

London-based Jemima Foxtrot is one of Latitude's youngest poets, and has been causing a stir in her native Yorkshire – one to watch!

A Firm of Poets are seasoned spoken word artists and writers, Matthew Hedley Stoppard, Ralph Dartford and Matt Abbott will set out their manifesto to bring vital, accessible and energetic poetry to the masses.

Latitude are also thrilled to have some of the best new talent in stand up poetry today including Michelle Madsen, Aisling Fahey, Maria Ferguson, Justina Kerhinde and Daniel Piper and many, many more!

Tania Harrison, curator of the arts arenas and co-programmer of the Poetry Arena, said: 'As a festival, Latitude has always prided itself on the breadth of our line ups and this year is no different.

'From The Last Poets who are as relevant and important today as they were when they first influenced the emergence of hip hop, to young up and coming poets such as Jemima Foxtrot under who's influence all audiences fall, with her semi- autobiographical tales of young life in the UK.

'Latitude has grown a reputation for being the place to see new talent and indeed we are excited to be supporting a wealth of new talent across the festival this year. And from ones-to-watch to one-offs to must-sees- we will have some spectacular special guest appearances from the virtuoso talents of Chilly Gonzales on the Waterfront Stage to a celebration of poetry spanning the festival and the ages.

'From the genius of Simon Armitage, fresh from bringing Greek tragedy to our airwaves and stages with Troy in the Poetry Arena, to the Sound of 2015 George The Poet, a voice for his generation who can be found in the top five of the BBC Sound of 2015's list and performing from his new album in the Film and Music Arena.

'We are thrilled to be presenting a line up befitting of our 10th anniversary – it's set to be quite the birthday weekend.'

Tickets are available from www.seetickets.com/tour/latitude-festival-2015

See www.latitudefestival.co.uk