Shore Poets NOVEMBER – Valerie Gillies, Christine De Luca, Tim Craven + Sandy Brechin

Sunday 26^th November 2017, 7 pm (doors open 6.30pm)
Oh! Outhouse, 12a Broughton Street Lane, Edinburgh, EH1 3LY
Admission: £5 (concessions £3)
Please be there in plenty of time to get a seat. Unfortunately, fire regulations mean we have to turn people away if the room becomes overcrowded.

Please join us for an entertaining evening of poetry and music at the last Shore Poets of 2017. We have a fantastic line-up of three Edinburgh poets, two of the city’s previous makars, plus an up-and-coming talent. We’re also excited to welcome one of Scotland’s best known accordionists to provide sensational musical interludes.

NEW POET: TIM CRAVEN

Tim Craven – originally from Stoke-on-Trent – is currently completing a PhD in Creative Writing at Edinburgh University under the supervision of our own Shore Poet Jane McKie and Miriam Gamble. He has an MFA from Syracuse University (USA). He won the Grierson Poetry Prize this year and was the winner of the last but one Shore Poets Quiet Slam. He has been widely published in magazines and hopes to have a collection out soon.

SHORE POET: CHRISTINE DE LUCA

Christine De Luca – born and brought up in Shetland but has lived in Edinburgh for many years (with frequent visits north). She writes in both English and her native Shetlandic. She has just retired as Edinburgh’s Makar (Poet Laureate) after an incredibly busy three and a half years – but shows no sign of slowing down – she seems as busy as ever, reading at festivals all over Europe and beyond. She has had six collections of poems published. A recent pamphlet, Dat Trickster Sun (Mariscat Press) was shortlisted for the Michael Marks Poetry Award and her latest collection, just out, is Edinburgh: Singing the City, published by the Saltire Society and bringing together poems written during her Makarship. Her first novel came out in 2011 and she has collaborated with both jazz and traditional musicians. She is a long-time member of Shore Poets and a real (and much-loved) driving force behind the group.

GUEST POET: VALERIE GILLIES

Valerie Gillies is one of Scotland’s most distinguished poets. She was born in Canada but brought up in Scotland. She has had nine collections of poetry published, the most recent being The Cream of the Well: New and Selected Poems (Luath 2015) and has often worked with artists and musicians. Her early writing was encouraged by Norman MacCaig. Her concerns include Scottish identity and history, often interwoven with nature and environment: the interconnectedness of things. ‘She has worked to disseminate poetry in many forms – written, oral and visual – so that it is a presence in the everyday life of the Scottish people’ (Professor Laura Severin, North Carolina State University). She was Edinburgh’s second Makar, succeeding Stewart Conn, and serving 2005-8.

MUSICIAN: SANDY BRECHIN

WILDCARD SPOT AND THE LEMON CAKE RAFFLE

The lemon cake raffle provides us with much-needed funds, so we very much appreciate your support. And it is a most excellent lemon cake. (Occasionally, we also have poetry books in the raffle, and are very grateful to the donors thereof.)

We will have a wildcard spot this month. Please mention to the person selling tickets that you’d like to put your name in the hat (ideally we will ask you, but sometimes we forget to ask and then we feel sad once we remember our omission). Bring a poem to read in case you’re chosen! You’ll have three minutes (this includes any preamble or introduction – it’s a good idea to time yourself in advance to make sure you’re within the time limits).

Useful information:

1) we have a mailing list, and if you haven’t signed up yet, here’s your chance: just click right here and fill in the few bits of information. This is usually only for event notifications and things like ‘looking for slam/open night participants’. You can unsubscribe anytime you want to, although we would be sad if you did.

2) Our email address (take out spaces on either side of the @) is shorepoetsedinburgh @ gmail.com. Emails sent to any other email address go to the great rubbish bin in the virtual sky.