The Centre for Poetry and Poetics was established in 2012 under the Directorship of Professor Stephen Regan. The Centre emerged from the archive of the important North East modernist poet, Basil Bunting. The Basil Bunting Poetry Archive was established in 1988 by Richard Cadell and Diana Collecott, and is still held in Durham University Library's Special Collections at Palace Green; the Centre continues to foster research in this area.

One of Basil Bunting's guiding principles was that poetry should be read aloud. The Centre has held numerous public events in Durham to promote the performance of poetry. Regular themes include:

• The Poems That Made Me, where the Centre invites an established poet to read from the authors who inspired him or her
• Poetry Aloud, where members celebrate the works of important poets such as T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats
• Evenings with Durham Book Festival's annual poet laureate, who is invited by the Centre