Scottish Poetry Library Poetry Issues

Other recommendations

Essentials

Staying Alive / Being Alive

If you need a source of poems which almost guarantee discussion, these anthologies are two of our tried and tested favourites: I use it to help me pick poems which I can be sure will have enough emotional substance to get people talking, and enough complexity to be satisfying. The poems are grouped by theme, and throw up plenty of less familiar names - mainly twentieth century and contemporary, UK and American though some in translation too. No poet biographies included, but there are some suggestions for further reading.

ISBN 978-1852245887 / 978-1852246754, Bloodaxe, £10.95, pbk

Children and young adults

Salt Pocket Classics: Christina Rossetti, John Keats, Emily Bronte

ed Chris Emery

For the teenager, young adult - or, come to that, hip librarian - who rightly wishes that good things would come in irresistibly smart jackets. Poems like Rossetti's 'Goblin Market' (oh, reread this eerie stunner immediately) flash into life with these sophisticated, small-format hardbacks. Perfectly chosen poems with great cover images: place them face-out next to fantasy, sci-fi, vampires, or books about engulfing emotions that people over 21 Just Don't Understand.

ISBN 978-1844715572 / 978-1844714995 / 978-1844715688, Salt Publishing, £9.99, hbk

Don't miss ...

If you've got main poetry titles covered, but want to add extra sparkle...

Dancing With Big Eunice: Missives from the frontline of a fractured society

by Alistair Findlay

I couldn't bear it if this one slipped past you. I am anxious that 'poetry about social work' may not send you running for the order forms. Would 'humane, vivid, really really funny, painful' work? The next reader I see who looks as if he (probably he) would like to sample some poetry but lives in fear of flowers or Burns - this book is going in his hand.

ISBN 1906817286 Luath 2010, £7.99 pbk.

National Poetry Day 2010: 4 months to go

The theme of 'Home' has so many possibilities - Home Sweet Home, nostalgia, home away from home, asylum, what it means to be without a home, home-made, home-grown, home is where the heart is, imaginary and ideal homes, wherever I hang my hat that's my...

As well as the set of 8 postcards, 4 suitable for primary age and 4 for general readers, we'll be using Poetry Issues to send you ideas and resources we hope will help you celebrate poetry on 7 October and beyond.

Poetry Issues, July: events format ideas, activities sheet for children, suitable titles, and sources of poems about 'home'.

Poetry Issues, August: lesson plans on 4 junior cards available for schools, podcast special

September: the poems themselves will be emailed out to you in advance, but not published online till 7 October - librarian's honour not to let slip what they'll be...

What works…? Try this!

Bad Language Night

Shetland Library aren't content with putting Bards on the Bog, poems on the doors of all the public toilet cubicles... they've been getting up to all sorts of mischief recently with a Bad Language Night, readings of prose and poetry and drama which uses sweary words to great effect. Karen Fraser of Shetland Library reports that the audience - all prepared for the creative use of strong language - enjoyed readings from a selection of pieces by Burns, Shakespeare, Alison Flett, Carol Ann Duffy, Christopher Brookmyre, Des Dillon, Don Paterson and Tom Leonard. And a notorious Philip Larkin poem, paired with a lovely pastiche by Adrian Mitchell about how they tuck you up, your mum and dad... And I bet you could list a few possibles straight away? Email your favourites. (Use plenty of ast**isks, though, or your IT department will pop round for a tactful word...)

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