Confirmed and likely events
(for details of book launches see the Calder Wood Press website)
January
Primary Schools Workshops - Wallyford, Aberlady, Haddington
Holocaust Memorial Day - King's Meadow PS
February
Primary Schools Workshops - Aberlady, Haddington, Dunbar, Stenton
9th judging Aberdeen heat of 'Off By Heart'
14th Valentine's Day at the Scottish Poetry Library - readings with Anne Connolly and Irene Brown
21st Tyne & Esk Writers Beginners' Poetry workshop in North Berwick
24th Launch of Donald McKinney's book in Haddington, with readings from Anna Dickie, Jo Gibson & Anne Connolly
March
6th launch of Lillias Scott Forbes book in St Andrews
13th Launch of Irene Brown's book in Edinburgh
Primary Schools Workshops - Innerwick, Haddington
18-22 StAnza: Scotland's International Poetry Festival
Launches for David Purdie and Mary Johnston
29th renga in Huntly
April
Events to be confirmed
May
6-10 visit to the Somme battlefields
The Scottish Poetry Library has outreach collections in libraries throughout Scotland. A new initiative, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, aims to increase the reading and enjoyment of poetry by placing a poet in the commuities served by these collections, to carry out a variety of activities and to focus the interest in poetry. I'm the Poet Partner to Moray for 2008-9. In 2008 I did 8 sessions in Elgin, Buckie, Lossiemouth and Forres. They included a school/museum session, a Scots language reading, haiku workshops and an 'instant haiku' exhibition in Buckie, and contemporary Scottish poets in Elgin and Buckie. The 2009 programme will be organised in February 2009. |
In the January to March period I'm running 27 workshops in East Lothian primary schools, on three themes:
Five Alive: looking at food and exercise, I'm encouraging infant school classes to enjoy and to write poetry.
A Word on Art: for the upper primary classes, this 3-stage workshop looks at art, and will aim to create
a 'class book' of creative writing based on themes from the work of visual artists.
Stand Up To Hatred: a course run with photographer Leah Robb in Kings Meadow Primary School, Haddington.
Together we're exploring prejudice, and strategies to confront it in everyday life. The work will lead to an
exhibition of writing and photography by the classes, and it's tied in to their earlier
studies of the Holocaust.