The Independent Recommends: Literature

Nobel Prizewinner Czeslaw Milosz (below), now aged 87, makes a very rare journey from Poland to read on the opening evening of the Poetry International festival tonight (7.30pm). Dubbed a "catastrophist" in the 1930s because of the awesomely accurate prophesies of his poems, Milosz continued to publish clandestinely throughout Nazi occupation and he remains one of the searing poetic visionaries of the century. As he wrote in 1945, "What is poetry which does not save nations or people?"

The poetry world assembled at the South Bank is reeling from the news of Ted Hughes' death. Poets including Derek Walcott are arranging an impromptu tribute to the late Poet Laureate on Sunday at 2pm.

Poetry International, Purcell Room, South Bank, London SE1 (0171-960 4242) to 7 Nov