Carry a Poem Special

"It's one those poems that's just stuck. I can't really explain why..."

Colin heads down to the launch of the 2010 One City One Edinburgh literature campaign, which is focusing this year on the poems we carry with us and includes a free anthology of poems called Carry A Poem, being distributed for free across the city.

Including snippets from poet Ken Cockburn, Edinburgh makar Ron Butlin, literary editor Stuart Kelly, Children's Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival Sara Grady and charming couple Mark and Alena Fraser. Ryan also asks Colin what his 'Carry A Poem' choices would be.

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First published 5 February, 2010

Carry A Poem

There's a poem for everyone out there in the world – and the Carry a Poem Campaign is a wonderful opportunity to share the ones that are loved, and to win new readers. If people haven't found the poem that speaks to them yet, we carry thousands of poems and would be glad to help. The Scottish Poetry Library are delighted to be teaming up with the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature on this their fourth city-wide reading campaign, enabling us to bring poetry and people toegther on a grand scale.

More about those poem choices!

Sara Grady carries Robert Burns' 'My Heart's in the Highlands'

Ken Cockburn carries Hugh MacDiarmid's 'Why I Became a Scots Nationalist'

Ron Butlin carries Hugh MacDiarmid's 'The Bonnie Broukit Bairn'

Stuart Kelly carries John Berryman's Dream Songs.

Mark and Alena Fraser carry Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Where Go the Boats'. You can read their story in the Carry a Poem book.

We recommend...

The Carry A Poem anthology edited by Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature & the Scottish Poetry Library OBOE 2010 People carry poems. In their heads, close to their hearts. They prop them on their desks, stick them on their walls, tuck them in their wallets, listen to them on their ipods. Here is a collection of some of the poems that help people make sense of their world, that remind them of their dreams, helped them through a bad time. Made them laugh. Free from SPL, Edinburgh City Libraries and partner organisations

Carry a Poem pocket cards We've got 28,000 poem pocket cards to give away for free. So now you and your pals and loved ones can carry a poem that means something to you. There's even a blank one, so you can write your own...

Find out more...

• Search SPL catalogue and borrow these items

Related links...

• Carry a Poem website
• Carry a Poem on Twitter (@carryapoem)
• Browse the book online
• Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature
  

Image: Mark & Alena Fraser © Chris Scott