Readings
StAnza programmes a wide selection of readings throughout each festival: Poetry Centre Stage in The Byre, Five O'Clock Verses in Parliament Hall and others with their own identity. Introduced in 2010, Border Crossings have poets from different countries and languages reading in tandem. Showcase readings give a dedicated platform to poets connected with specific publications, awards or other countries; while Round Table readings offer the opportunity to encounter poetry in a very different way; the poet joins a very limited audience in an intimate venue to read poems, comment and chat.
Wed 16 March | 9.45-11.15pm | The Inklight Poets
Student poetry showcase
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Bar & Bistro
Thu 17 March | 9.45-11.15am | Poetry Walk: Flora and Fauna
Encounter verse around town: led by Brian Johnstone
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Theatre Garden
(Dependent on fair weather, please check with the StAnza desk)
Thu 17 March | 11.30am-12.30pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Dawn Wood and Matt Merritt
The Town Hall, Queens Gardens – Supper Room
Thu 17 March | 2.15-3.15pm | Krikri in Performance
A performance from Ghent’s innovative polypoetry collective
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Studio Theatre
Thu 17 March | 2.15-3.15pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Alan MacGillivray, Adnan al-Sayegh with his translator Stephen Watts
The Town Hall, Queens Gardens – Supper Room
Thu 17 March | 3.45-4.30pm | Round Table
Intimate Reading: Tom Pow
The Green Room, St Leonards Quad, South Street
Thu 17 March | 5.00-6.00pm | Five O’Clock Verses
Reading: Natasha Trethewey, Brian Johnstone
Parliament Hall, South Street
Thu 17 March | 8.00-9.50pm | Poetry Centre Stage
Reading: Fiona Sampson and Yang Lian with his translator, Brian Holton
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Auditorium
Fri 18 March | 11.30am-12.30pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Gawain Douglas, David Robakidze
The Town Hall, Queens Gardens – Supper Room
Fri 18 March | 11.30am-12.15pm | Round Table
Intimate Reading: Paul Farley
Fraser East, South Street
Fri 18 March | 12.45-1.45pm | New Poets Showcase
Showcase with Ellen Cranitch, Claire Askew, Sarah Howe, Phil Najemy
The Town Hall, Queens Gardens – Council Chamber
Fri 18 March | 2.15-3.15pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Maoilios Caimbeul, Mark O. Goodwin
The Town Hall, Queens Gardens – Supper Room
Fri 18 March | 3.45-4.30pm | Round Table
Intimate reading: John Burnside
The Green Room, St Leonards Quad, South Street
Fri 18 March | 5.00-6.00pm | Five O’Clock Verses
Reading: Tom Petsinis, Kevin Young
Parliament Hall, South Street
Fri 18 March | 8.00-9.50pm | Poetry Centre Stage
Reading: Marilyn Hacker, Paul Farley
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Auditorium
Sat 19 March | 11.30am-12.30pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Rab Wilson, George Nakhutsrishvili
The Undercroft, St John's House, South Street
Sat 19 March | 11.30am-12.15pm | Round Table
Reading: Maoilios Caimbeul reads Sorley MacLean
St Mary's Hall, St Mary’s Quad, South Street
Sat 19 March | 12.45-1.45pm | New Writing North Showcase
Showcase event with Sophie F. Baker, Stevie Ronnie, Degna Stone, Anna Woodford
The Town Hall, Queens Gardens – Council Chamber
Sat 19 March | 2.15-3.15pm | The Four Quartets
T. S. Eliot's seminal work performed by Gawain Douglas, with musical interventions
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Studio Theatre
Sat 19 March | 2.15-3.15pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Anna Robinson, A. C. Clarke
The Undercroft, St John's House, South Street
Sat 19 March | 3.45-4.30pm | Round Table
Jila Peacock reads Hafez
St Mary's Hall, St Mary’s Quad, South Street
Sat 19 March | 5.00-6.00pm | Five O’Clock Verses
Reading: Durs Grünbein with Don Paterson, Helena Nelson
Parliament Hall, South Street
Sat 19 March | 7.15-7.30pm | Imprisoned Poets
Readings of poems by imprisoned poets, presented by Scottish PEN.
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Conference Room
Sat 19 March | 8.00-9.50pm | Poetry Centre Stage
Reading: Selima Hill, Philip Gross
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Auditorium
Sun 20 March | 11.30am-12.30pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Carrie Etter, Antonella Anedda
The Undercroft, St John's House, South Street
Sun 20 March | 1.00-2.00pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Emily Ballou, Katrina Naomi
The Town Hall, Queens Gardens – Supper Room
Sun 20 March | 2.15-3.15pm | Border Crossings
Reading: Lidjia Šimkutė, Kevin Williamson
The Undercroft, St John's House, South Street
Sun 20 March | 2.30-3.15pm | Off the Road to Everywhere
Philip Gross reading for children and adults
The Town Hall, Queens Gardens – Supper Room
Sun 20 March | 3.30-4.30pm | Being Human
Neil Astley and friends read selections from the new Bloodaxe anthology
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Studio Theatre
Sun 20 March | 3.45-4.30pm | Round Table
Reading: Ciaran Carson
St Mary's Hall, St Mary’s Quad, South Street
Sun 20 March | 8.00-9.50pm | Poetry Centre Stage
Reading: Douglas Dunn, Ciaran Carson
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Auditorium