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STANZA St Andrews’ poetry festival gears up for its 19th year
We’re waxing lyrical about StAnza: Scotland’s international poetry festival, which takes place each spring in St Andrews. There are two themes for 2016: ‘City Lines’ and ‘Body of Poetry’, and there are hundreds of acts lined up to tackle them. The big headliners include Guardian First
Book Award-winner Andrew McMillan, who’ll be performing at Parliament Hall on Sat 5 Mar alongside Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize- winner Fiona Benson, plus two-time TS Eliot prize-winner Don Paterson, who’s appearing with poet and broadcaster Lemn Sissay at the Byre on Fri 4 Mar.
Other notable guests include Edinburgh
Makar Christine de Luca, who is performing ‘Sea Threads: comings and goings / Sea Treeds: comins an gyaains’, with saxophonist Tommy Smith at the Byre on Wed 2 Mar, as well
as Jo Bell, Pascale Petit, Sean O’Brien, Brian Johnstone, John Burnside and Jemima Foxtrot (pictured) with her show Melody, which we loved at last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. That said, over 100 readings, performances, discussions and events will take place during the festival, featuring poets and writers from all over the world, including Australia, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Georgia, Ireland and the USA. This year, the festival also has its first dedicated translated language focus with a strand of events showcasing German poetry (or Deutsche Gedichte, if you will). The official festival launch takes place at the
Byre on Fri 4 Mar, with a multi-arts performance from Thomas Lynch, Rita Bradd, Jane Yolen and Rebecca Sharp. (Rebecca Monks) ■ StAnza, St Andrews, Wed 2–Sun 6 Mar, stanzapoetry.org
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