THE Poetry Swindon Festival is back with a "nonsensical" glut of performances, readings and workshops.

This year is the 100th anniversary of Dada, the so-called nonsense art movement which spawned surrealism, Salvador Dali, Monty Python and Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz - and the festival has planned a packed calendar of offbeat events, including a whole day dedicated to Dada-esque anti-verse on October 1, to mark the occasion.

“Poetry Swindon likes its poetry a little off-kilter - quite a lot off-kilter,” says festival director Hilda Sheehan. "So something anti-meaning, and silly with a serious message is what Poetry Swindon is all about.”

Due to the event's popularity last year, the festival has been extended to 11 days this time around. It will be split in two parts. The community strand starts today and runs until October 5 across the Central Library, Museum and Art Gallery, Savernake Street Social Hall, Museum of Computing, North Swindon Library and the Richard Jefferies Museum.

Then there is The Big Poetry Weekend at the Richard Jefferies Museum, which kicks off on National Poetry Day on October 6 and ends on October 9.

The Children’s Day will return on October 2, inviting budding writers to twists words with the mischief-making Goblin Circus, Plant-a-Story and have a little fun at the Imagination Museum.

Bringing a more high-flying note to the fifth annual festival will be various works inspired by the Spitfire. The popular plane that was made in Swindon, and played such a vital role in the Second World War, will be the subject of flight-themed poems from North Swindon school children on October 3. Artist and writer Mike Pringle will have his Spitfire sculpture on show and there will be readings from Sisters in Spitfire, a collection of poems by Alison Hill.

For those after a little spice, American poet Carrie Etter will lead an erotic poetry workshop on October 7.

Radio 4 poet-in-residence Daljit Nagra will act as judge and guest poet at the Battered Moons Poetry Awards evening on October 8. He will also lead a masterclass on October 9.

Many of the activities are free. For more details visit www.poetryswindon.org.