Edinburgh International Book Festival Themes: Poetry for the People
Whether dealing with grief, lamenting lost love, rejoicing in nature or questioning our place in the world: these poets – masters of their craft – cut to the heart.
About Edinburgh International Book Festival Themes: Poetry for the People
‘When we are in trouble collectively we don’t want context and plot. A poem makes the most sense because there is no fluff. It goes right in and gets to what we are all feeling.’ Said Ocean Vuong in a recent interview with the Guardian. And it is this sense of directly speaking to our inner sensibilities that’s echoed in the exquisite poetry collections discussed this August. Whether dealing with grief, lamenting lost love, rejoicing in nature or questioning our place in the world: these poets – masters of their craft – cut to the heart.
Nothing but the Poem with Samuel Tongue: The Poetry of Andrés N Ordorica
Saturday 13 August 15:00 - 16:00
Jazz Money & Andrés N Ordorica: The Language of Protest and Love
Saturday 13 August 18:15 - 19:15
Jay Gao & Alycia Pirmohamed: History, Memory, Poetry
Saturday 13 August 18:30 - 19:30
Claire Askew & Salena Godden: Life and Death
Sunday 14 August 14:15 - 15:15
Malika Booker, Kayo Chingonyi, Salena Godden & Lemn Sissay: The Fire This Time
Sunday 14 August 17:00 - 18:00
Signe Gjessing & Selby Wynn Schwartz: The Invention of Freedom
Monday 15 August 17:30 - 18:30
Close Read: Open Book on Poetry
Wednesday 17 August 13:00 - 14:30
Nothing but the Poem with Samuel Tongue: The Poetry of Ocean Vuong
Wednesday 17 August 17:00 - 18:00
Raymond Antrobus: Drawing Meaning From the Spaces
Friday 19 August 12:15 - 13:15
Jason Allen-Paisant & Samuel Tongue: Natural Connection
Friday 19 August 15:30 - 16:30
Armando Iannucci: An Epic Poem for Our Times
Friday 19 August 20:30 - 21:30
Omar Musa & Monika Radojevic: How Much Freight Can a Soul Bear?
Saturday 20 August 15:30 - 16:30
Kathleen Jamie & Don Paterson: Memories and Meltwater
Saturday 20 August 17:30 - 18:30
PJ Harvey with Don Paterson – Orlam: A Conversation
Saturday 20 August 20:15 - 21:15
Robert Crawford & Matthew Hollis: Poem of the Century
Sunday 21 August 12:15 - 13:15
Beyond the Swelkie: A Tribute to George Mackay Brown
Sunday 21 August 19:00 - 20:00
Fiona Paterson, Alan Riach & James Robertson: Hugh MacDiarmid Centenary
Monday 22 August 14:15 - 15:15
Close Read: Fiona Paterson, Alan Riach & James Robertson on the Poetry of Hugh MacDiarmid
Monday 22 August 17:00 - 18:30
Edwin Morgan Poetry Award
Monday 22 August 20:15 - 21:15
Katherine Rundell: I Am a Little World
Tuesday 23 August 10:15 - 11:15
Nothing but the Poem with Samuel Tongue: The Poetry of Ada Limón
Tuesday 23 August 13:00 - 14:00
Ada Limón: The Images of Poetry
Tuesday 23 August 17:30 - 18:30
Hollie McNish & Joelle Taylor: Taboo-Busting Poets at Work
Tuesday 23 August 19:00 - 20:00
Ellen Renton: Within Sight
Wednesday 24 August 16:30 - 17:30
Colm Tóibín: Man Imagines Mann
Wednesday 24 August 20:30 - 21:30
Liz Lochhead: 50 Years of a Pioneering Poet
Thursday 25 August 11:30 - 12:30
Hannah Lavery: Scotland, You’re No’ Mine
Friday 26 August 12:15 - 13:15
Hannah Lavery: Scotland, You’re No’ Mine
Jessica Au & Stephanie Sy-Quia: Dreams of a Common Language
Saturday 27 August 12:15 - 13:15
Lola Olufemi: Be the Change
Saturday 27 August 14:15 - 15:15
Ocean Vuong: I'm Here to Stay
Saturday 27 August 19:00 - 20:00
Close Read: Iain Morrison & Nat Raha on the Poetry of Callie Gardner
Sunday 28 August 17:00 - 18:30
Anthony Joseph: Measure of a Man
Sunday 28 August 17:30 - 18:30
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Other Events at Edinburgh College of Art or Edinburgh International Book Festival
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