More than 100 poets, artists, writers, musicians and actors will descend on St Andrews for what is being billed as Scotland’s most innovative poetry festival ever.
StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival, has launched its 2013 programme and headlining are Scotland’s Poet Laureate Liz Lochhead and her Welsh counterpart, Gillian Clarke.
Organisers of the award-winning annual event say it will have wide appeal.
In a much-anticipated meeting of the laureates, Gillian will read with Liz, the Scots Makar, at the Byre Theatre and deliver the StAnza Lecture on the Welsh origins and influences of early poetry.
Other poets topping the bill include Robin Robertson, Luke Wright, Paula Meehan, American Mark Doty and three Canadians: Ken Babstock, Ern Moure and Antony Christie.
Heading the children’s programme is poet and broadcaster John Hegley known as the people’s poet laureate.
Providing an international flavour will be poets from Singapore, Romania, Latvia, Iceland and Germany, with a particular focus on Welsh verse.
One of StAnza 2013’s main themes will be legacy of place, celebrating St Andrews University’s 600th anniversary.
In a special collaboration with the university, the festival will create a poetry digital map of St Andrews, linking poems and poets with local landmarks.
Festival director Eleanor Livingstone said: ”There’s something for all tastes and every interest in this festival plus, of course, plenty of interactive events.
”We’re working with some wonderful new partners such as Badilisha Poetry X-change, Literature Across Frontiers, Speaking Volumes and Grey Hen Press, and bringing to St Andrews poets from across Scotland and around the world.
”Our focus on Welsh poetry for 2013 has been long in the planning, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to put it together with our legacy of place theme for this year.
”I’m sure our audiences will enjoy the readings and other contributions of the Welsh poets taking part and I hope they also discover connections between the poetry of the two nations, as well as shared influences.”
Tickets will go on sale at the Byre Theatre box office early next month. The programme can be viewed online at www.stanzapoetry.org.