For National Poetry Day 2026 (Thursday 1 October), the Scottish Poetry Library has teamed up with Brand Scotland to bring you six short poetry films by contemporary writers, all of whom have been part of our Scotland’s Next Generation Young Makars programme.
Made to be watched on your phone, on your break or on your way somewhere, they offer poems in English and Scottish Gaelic on this year’s theme of wonder.
The films
Addressing The Pigeons
written by Leah Sinforiani (Young Makar 2024) read by all the poets.
One Glove To Heat
written and read by Anousha Stroud
Young Makar 2025
In The Garden
written and read by Ben Mann
Young Makar 2023
A Big Hopeful Empty
written and read by Brooke Collins
Young Makar 2025
The Summer Moves
written and read by Elissa Hunter-Dorans
Young Makar 2022
Tha an Samhradh a’ Gluasad
written and read by Elissa Hunter-Dorans · Scottish Gaelic
Young Makar 2022
About Young Makars
Scotland’s Next Generation Young Makars is a mentoring scheme run by the Scottish Poetry Library. Each year it pairs emerging poets with established Scottish writers for one-to-one mentoring sessions and opportunities to share their work at public events. The poets in these films come from the scheme’s 2022 to 2025 cohorts. Find out more about the programme.
More for National Poetry Day
National Poetry Day is organised by the Forward Arts Foundation, with a UK-wide programme of events and classroom resources on the theme of wonder. Explore the full 2026 programme on their website and find free resources, films and poetry galore.
The Scottish Poetry Library has a full archive of free resources from past National Poetry Days here.