THE Friends of Coleridge is celebrating the bicentenary of the publication of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Kubla Kahn.

There will be a special celebration event at CICCIC in Taunton on Coleridge's birthday, Friday, October 21 at 7.30pm.

The Friends of Coleridge supported by the Arts Council is delighted to announce the first viewing of a new Art Exhibition inspired by Coleridge’s Kubla Khan, entitled Imagined Worlds.

Work put forward by many artists and selected by Somerset Art Works will be on display from October 17 to November 12, before touring to Bath and Nether Stowey.

The celebration evening on Friday will show this work, but also share the many activities already in place.

A spokesman for The Friends of Coleridge said: "In particular, we will present the prestigious awards for the international poetry competition supported by the National Poetry Society and Birmingham City University and hear the poems, which also form part of the exhibition.

"We will show the short film of Kubla Khan created by Somerset Film, which will also form part of the travelling exhibition.

"We will talk about our Somerset walks in the steps of Coleridge and advertise a new booklet about the poem written by Justin Shepherd, Chair of the Friends of Coleridge. We will hear about the schools’ programme."

The Friends of Coleridge is a charity dedicated to spreading the importance of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poetry and thought.

As a key founder of the romantic tradition and one of the most important radical thinkers of his age, his legacy remains of relevance and importance for how we live our lives today.

For more information, contact Ian Enters on 01278 732611or ianenters@btinternet.com.