As covid restrictions are finally gone, it’s a wonderful time to explore our city and some of the unique resources and sites available in our UNESCO City of Literature. For those of you new to town, and to those a little bit more settled, hopefully, this quick guide offers you something to discover and a […]
Held in the Scottish Poetry Library, a unique and enchanting literary space tucked away in a side-street of Edinburgh’s bustling Royal Mile, the Glasgow Women’s Library’s Connect and Create Showcase boasted a glowing evening of flash fiction, poetry and novels in-the-making, accompanied by friendly faces and a paid-for bar. Entering with little knowledge about the […]
The Scottish Poetry Library (SPL) truly is one of Edinburgh’s hidden treasures. Even after a short visit to the SPL you will leave knowing that this is a place for everyone “to be inspired in, create in, and study in,” in the words of one of the SPL’s librarians. Established in 1999 and refurbished in […]
In line with the festive cheer that the anticipation of Christmas brings, the Scottish Poetry Library hosts Katie Ailes, Carly Brown, Nick E. Melville, Calum Rodger, and Andrew Blair to perform their different takes on the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life. The smell of spices from mulled wine and mince pies, as well as […]
What do laughter and misery have in common? Leyla Josephine’s case study ‘Hopeless’ asked precisely that question. The performance started with a mockery of pretentious love poetry, with the host poetically reciting lines from Love Island. Next came Murid Laly, the first of two poets who supported Josephine. Laly, following Josephine, focused on more melancholy […]
This Tuesday, as part of the University of Edinburgh’s Visiting Writers series, the Scottish Poetry Library hosted poet, novelist and critic Sean O’Brien. O’Brien’s most recent poetry collection Europa deals with issues of place, identity and belonging. The event consisted of a poetry reading by the author, followed by a short conversation with Beth Cochrane, […]
The Scottish Poetry Library is one of my favourite literary venues in Edinburgh, consistently programming thought-provoking events. Therefore, I was intrigued to see how they would approach the Muriel Spark centenary, especially given that the literary scene is set to saturated with events celebrating the great author this year. I was not disappointed; this event […]
Scotland’s national identity has always been intertwined with art, music and most importantly, literature. From the publication of Blind Harry’s The Wallace to September 2014 by Carol Ann Duffy, lyrics of the time have shaped the idea of Scotland and vice versa. Never was this more true than in the post-war years that came to […]