If you love your poetry then, as I’m sure you know, The Scottish Poetry Library is the place to be, but this weekend (Friday 14th – Sunday 16th Nov) that is the case more than ever. It sees the library host Sympoetry, a three day festival celebrating and discussing poetry and which boasts a fantastic line-up of poets from home and abroad.
There will be plenty of debate on all things poetic as well as readings and performances. The focus of the festival is the question, ‘Poetry: Who’s Speaking? Who’s Listening?’ which is also the title of a musical performace which will be one of the weekend’s highlights. If you are able I suggest you be at least part of the answer to one of those questions.
Those taking part include the legendary Don Paterson, one of our finest poets, and winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize and Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize to prove it. He features in an event on ‘the poetry of music and the music of poetry’, as well as part of an unmissable poetry / music concert on the Saturday night alongside the enigmatic MacGillivray, the poet, musician and performance artist who is involved in By Our Selves, the film project about poet John Clare with Toby Jones and Alan Moore, and whose collection The Last Wolf of Scotland is one of the most memorable of recent times.
Other attendees include Fiona Sampson, who will be performing her own work as well as contributing to a debate on the role of women in poetry, and Tim Dee, the producer of Radio 4’s Poetry Please, who will talk about what makes a poem popular. The SPL’s first ever poet-in-residence Maciej Woźniak will also be there, discussing translation and poetry.
The debate on the question ‘Poetry: Who’s Speaking? Who’s Listening?’ will take place on the Friday, chaired by the Scottish Review ofBook’s editor Alan Taylor and featuring Alan Gillis and the acclaimed American poet Thomas Lux.
Sympoetry promises to be one of the cultural highlghts of the year, in a year of stiff competition. To be able to listen to and talk with poets and writers such as those mentioned is a rare opportunity, and you’ll be kicking yourself if you miss it.For a full list of Sympoetry events and details on how to get tickets, visit the SPL website: