Love in a Carry a Poem climate Friday, 19 February 2010
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Could you even begin to imagine the delight and glee we experienced on hearing that a gentleman decided to propose to his beloved in front of our Edinburgh Castle projection on Valentine’s Eve? Luke, sporting a tuxedo, got down on one knee to ask for Gillian’s hand in marriage and everything, our spy reports. It seems he quite literally looked to the living, loved her, and decided to hold on! Who says poetry doesn’t make anything happen! Have our Carry a Poem antics made something wonderful happen for you? We’d love to hear your stories…
And of course, many thanks to the newly-affianced for letting us snap their moment, and warmest wishes to them from us.
Poetry Lights Up Edinburgh Castle Monday, 15 February 2010
Posted by edincityoflit in Events, Poetry in Edinburgh, Poets.Tags: Douglas Dunn
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“Look to the living, love them, and hold on” will be projected onto the north face of Castle Rock from dusk on St Valentine’s Day to celebrate the importance of love in all its forms. The line is from ‘Disenchantments’, a poem by the award-winning Scottish poet, Douglas Dunn.
The projection took place until 11.00pm on Sunday 14th February.
Poetry Projections in Edinburgh
Ali Bowden, Director of the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust, said “We are delighted that Historic Scotland is supporting the Carry A Poem campaign, and joining us in bringing poetry to Edinburgh Castle, the iconic cultural image of Scotland’s Capital City. This one-off projection joins 5 other poems shining throughout the city – 2 onto the City Chambers, the new extension of the Usher Hall, the National Library of Scotland and at the Foot of Leith Walk – all of which can be enjoyed until March.”
Fiona Hyslop, Minister for Culture and External Affairs, said “Edinburgh Castle is a fitting choice to be one of the key focal points of this innovative campaign, which celebrates Edinburgh’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature. As a city and as a country we are extremely proud of this and by celebrating it in this way I hope that it provides local people and visitors alike with a powerful and memorable symbol of our diverse and renowned literary heritage.”
The Poet
Robyn Marsack, Director of the Scottish Poetry Library, said “Douglas Dunn’s lines are so appropriate: they say that love endures, like the Castle rock which they’ll illuminate for a night.”
Douglas Dunn commented “I’m really chuffed – it’s like having my name in lights above a theatre – and what a theatre! I’m so pleased to be involved.”
Douglas Dunn was born in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, in 1942. In 1991 he was appointed Profess
or in the School of English at the University of St Andrews. He has won a Somerset Maugham Award, the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, and has twice been awarded prizes by the Scottish Arts Council. In 1981 he was awarded the Hawthornden Prize for St Kilda’s Parliament. In January 1986 he was overall winner of the 1985 Whitbread Book of the Year Award for his collection ‘Elegies.’
Carry a Poem Campaign
Jenny Dawe, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council said “There can be few cities in the world as romantic or inspiring as Edinburgh, and what better focal point for this St Valentine’s Day poetry projection than our iconic Castle? Carry a Poem is proving to be a hugely thought-provoking campaign in this City of Literature, demonstrating the power of words to move, amuse and console us.”
Poetry Lights Up Edinburgh Thursday, 11 February 2010
Posted by edincityoflit in Events, Poetry in Edinburgh, Poets.Tags: Gael Turnbull, Lord Byron, Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson
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As part of the February 2010 citywide reading campaign – Carry a Poem – locations in Edinburgh are ‘carrying a poem’ in the City of Literature: The National Library, Leith Walk, the Royal Mile, the City Chambers (Cockburn Street) and the Usher Hall. For one night only, Edinburgh Castle also lit up.
The National Library of Scotland
So, we’ll go no more a roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,And the moon be still as bright.
Lord Byron
Lord Byron – or George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron if you want to get a little formal – was born in 1788, schooled in Aberdeen, and was a major Romantic poet. He wore a lot of frilly shirts and wrote great love poems. His mum was Scottish so we’re claiming him as one of ours…The National Library of Scotland has some of his letters and artefacts in their John Murray Archive and the lines projected are from the poem ‘So, we’ll go no more a roving’. You can visit the archive on
line here http://www.nls.uk/jma or nip down to George IV Bridge to see the exhibition yourself and have a cuppa in their excellent cafe.
The Royal Mile - (on the pavement, near City Chambers entrance archways)
Keeping and forgetting time,
my pulse to your pulse, rhythm and rhyme
Gael Turnbull
Gael Turnbull was born in Edinburgh in 1928 and worked on what he termed kinetic poems; texts for installation in which the movement of the reader and/or of the text became part of the reading experience. He also used to busk on the Royal Mile which is why we’ve projected his poem there. This poem was written specially for the Scottish Poetry Library, and if you want to read more of his work, hunt down the collection There Are Words by Shearsman Books. www.spl.org.uk
The City Chambers – (back of City Chambers building, Cockburn Street)
Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a’ that,
That Sense and Worth o’er a’ the earth
Shall bear the gree an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s comin yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man the warld o’er
Shall brithers be for a’ that.
Robert Burns
You probably already know everything you need to about Robert Burns and these lines which are taken from the poem ‘A Man’s a Man for a’ That’, but did you know he came to Edinburgh in 1787 and you can go for a walk in his footsteps – you can visit the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature for a virtual tour.
The Usher Hall
Our lives, and every day and hour,
One symphony appear:
One road, one garden – every flower
And every bramble dear.
Robert Louis Stevenson
Stevenson is an Edinburgh-lad, born in 1850 in 8 Howard Place, in the New Town. He’s perhaps best known as the author of the now world-famous book Treasure Island, but he wrote many books and was also a poet. Although troubled by illness his whole life, he was a traveller and true bon viveur. These lines are from one of the short poems in Songs of Travel. www.robert-louis-stevenson.org
Leith Walk
James Hoggs’ ‘Love is Like a Dizziness’ is projected at the Foot of the Walk.
Home Monday, 16 November 2009
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Edinburgh Carried a Poem throughout February 2010, as part of our annual City of Literature reading campaign. We gave away thousands of free Carry A Poem books & poetry pocketcards, and ran a month of special poetry events.
February may be over, but you can still Carry a Poem, and share your story.
- Read the poem stories to see how and why people carry poems
- Visit our Flickr gallery to see how the events went
- Poetry Pocketcards are still available online
Poetry Projections: Edinburgh Lights Up For February
How Do You Carry Yours? Share how you carry your poem choice.
Alan Cumming carries his in his heart, Lorraine Kelly pins hers to her jacket, Jocelyn has one in her wallet and Steve carries several in his head. Bruntsfield Nursery wrote their own poem, Frank shared his with his RAF colleagues and Holly carries Tom Leonard’s The 6 O’Clock News.
Poetry Gets Animated: the Carry a Poem Campaign Trailer
Edinburgh is the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, a permanent title celebrating our city built on books. The Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust charity was set up to promote literary Edinburgh and develop literary partnerships, and in 2007 created and ran the first One Book – One Edinburgh campaign, the highly successful annual citywide read. Carry a Poem is the fourth such campaign from the City of Literature Trust.
The Scottish Poetry Library is an independent library open and accessible to all. It is based in an award-winning building in Edinburgh and houses a collection of Scottish and international poetry in books and magazines, on tape and CD, together with a substantial children’s section. It also holds collections across Scotland, from Shetland to the Borders. The Scottish Poetry Library receives foundation funding from the Scottish Arts Council.
