Blog Our Sweet Old Etcetera

Behind the scenes at the Scottish Poetry Library

The Thursday Post: Happy 450th birthday, William Shakespeare

17 April, 2014

It's Shakespeare's birthday next week. Ever thought of the Bard's sonnets as being like 'a stunning extra in a BBC costume drama'? Our Lillias has, and she explains why and how we're marking Shakespeare's big day here at the SPL.

Poetry on Television and Radio, 19 - 25 April

15 April, 2014

Our weekly blog gives you a run-down of all the television and radio programmes featuring poetry and poets over the next seven days. This week, a Shakespeare bonanza to mark his 450th birthday, plus John Lennon reads his poetry and D.H. Lawrence returns to his roots.

The Thursday Post: My Life in Poetry

10 April, 2014

events

The Scottish Poetry Library's My Life in Poetry series is over a decade old. As we prepare for the latest in the series - with actor Crispin Bonham-Carter as our latest guest - we look back over ten years of revealing selections of favourite poetry.

Poetry on Television and Radio, 12 - 18 April

8 April, 2014

Our weekly blog gives you a run-down of all the television and radio programmes featuring poetry and poets over the next seven days. This week, we have Jen Hadfield in Shetland, Benjamin Zephaniah plays dominoes and the late Tony Benn picks his favourite poems.

The Thursday Post: Best Scottish Poems 2013 is coming!

3 April, 2014

anthologies

In a year of anniversaries (Bannockburn, First World War), the SPL is marking personal landmarks of its own. We’ve not only reached our 30th anniversary in 2014; we’re celebrating the appearance of the tenth edition of Best Scottish Poems. We reveal the publication date, guest editor and a taste of what to expect.

Poetry on Television and Radio, 5 - 11 April

1 April, 2014

Our weekly blog gives you a run-down of all the television and radio programmes featuring poetry and poets over the next seven days. This week, Dante gets the star treatment, Johnny Depp plays Rochester, and the secret connection between Virgil and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The Thursday Post: Scottish Poets on our website

27 March, 2014

poets

a snapshot of our poets section

Are you familiar with our online guide to Scottish poets? We have over 400 entries...

The Thursday Post: 'Before the traffic, the corncrake'

19 March, 2014

We are delighted to be participating in the Edinburgh Art Festival this year, with an audio installation by Thomas A Clark looking at the elusive and shy bird, the corncrake.

Poetry on Television and Radio, 22 - 28 March

18 March, 2014

Our weekly blog gives you a run-down of all the television and radio programmes featuring poetry and poets over the next seven days. This week, Murray Lachlan Young goes in search of his roots, Lavinia Greenlaw gets feverish, and Christopher Marlowe investigates.

The Thursday Post: Coming Soon - the SPL events calendar

13 March, 2014

events

A question we’ve been asked often of late is, ‘What is happening to events at the SPL during this time of change?’ The good news is that we will still be organising many events over the coming year, and there will be plenty of ways you can find out about them.