Scottish Poetry Library Poetry Issues

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Essentials

The Poems of Norman MacCaig

Norman MacCaig is one of the new classics - a landmark of a twentieth-century Scottish poet whose poems are extraordinarily well-loved, and often familiar from school study. November 2010 is the centenary of his birth, so if your shelves lack a good edition, this is a great time to rectify matters with the most recent edition of his poems, edited by his son Ewen McCaig. It's a real benefit to both a general reader and a student of his work to find so many of the familiar poems set in the context of his lengthy writing career. This paperback edition includes some poems which were unpublished at the time of MacCaig's death, as well as familiar gems like 'Summer Farm', 'Aunt Julia' and 'Assissi'. Edited by Ewen McCaig, with a substantial introduction by Alan Taylor.

Consider displaying alongside Andrew Greig's new book following in MacCaig's fishing footsteps, At the Loch of the Green Corrie.

ISBN 9781846971365, Polygon, £16.99, pbk

Children and young adults

A Kick in the Head: An everyday guide to poetic forms

Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka

Sssshhhhh - since new children's titles go quiet at this time of year, this is a recent classic being smuggled in. I'm sorry about that. But never mind the stock for a minute: this is one to buy for yourself. It's a guide to 29 poetic forms, by example, with stunning colour illustration, and it makes the most accessible, inspired introduction and quick reference you could wish for.

ISBN 978-0763641320, Candlewick, £9.99, pbk

Pamphlets and small press

Arc O Möns

by Christie Williamson

This was the joint winner - we'll feature the pamphlet of the other winner, Leonard McDermid, next month - of this year's Callum Macdonald Memorial Award. It's a bilingual selection of poems by Lorca, translated from Spanish into Shetlandic. It looks good as well, with artwork by Orcadian artist Diana Leslie, and a long slim format.

ISBN 978-0-9558414-4-6, Hansel Co-operative Press, £6 pbk

Scots, Gaelic and translation

Six Polish Poets: Jacek Dehnel, Agnieszka Kuciak, Anna Piwkowska, Tomasz Rozycki, Dariusz Suska, Maciej Wozniak

edited by Jacek Dehnel

This is in Arc's New Voices from Europe and Beyond series, which also includes Slovenian, Basque, Lithuanian, Czech and Slovak anthologies. It is a selection of young Polish poets (for poetry, thirties and forties are still hearteningly young), and the Polish originals and English translations face each other on the page. The selections of each poet's work are prefaced by a photo and a biographical note, providing some context for readers whether they want a taste of home or an exploration of poetry in translation. The poems are translated by Ewa Chrusciel, Bill Johnston, Karen Kovacik, Antonia Lloyd-Jones, Ryszard Reisner, Mira Rosenthal, George Szirtes and Elzbieta Wojcik-Leese.

ISBN 978-1-904614-50-0, Arc Publications, £8.99 pbk

National Poetry Day 2010: 3 months to go

Home... will you join us in a nationwide library At Home on National Poetry Day? Could you do something to make your library an extra-homely and welcoming place to be - from a simple afternoon teabreak for your readers and colleagues, to all-day events?

Some of our partners across the country are already planning how to be specially homely. For example, the lovely Ceilidh Place in Ullapool, above, are going to put on afternoon tea and scones so people can drop in for their poetry postcards.

This month, we've got ideas for easy NPD activities for all ages that need very little cash, so you can start planning early. But library and schools colleagues are endlessly inventive - so email us now if you feel inspiration coming on and want to share!

Coming in Poetry Issues, August: lesson plans on 4 junior cards and four senior cards available for schools, podcast special

Coming in 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...

National Poetry Day resources

Home Sweet Home

	This month's National Poetry Day resource sheet has ideas for simple formats that we know work. Have a browse, and see what will suit your library. We guarantee, people will love talking about 'home' and sharing poems in a relaxed setting like an afternoon cuppa - pour the tea, hand round the biscuits and they'll be off... download National Poetry Day activities (Word) download National Poetry Day activities (PDF)
	Plan from the start to show everyone else what you're doing, before and during National Poetry Day - remember to have a trusty colleague or pupil in charge of capturing the day, with photos or recordings or their own poems. Upload photos and ideas to GPS, the Southbank Centre's big map project. Or splash snapshots over Flickr, tweet your thoughts, blog - or just send us your plans, news and pictures, and we'll spread the word for you! Southbank Centre's GPS project
	After we made a gingerbread copy of the Scottish Poetry Library, there were a few requests for the recipe. If you fancy making your idea of home in gingerbread, here's your building material: download Gingerbread recipe (Word) download Gingerbread recipe (PDF)

Everyone has a story to tell! Once everyone's fired up by poems and memories of 'Home' on National Poetry Day, follow up with Tell-A-Story Day on 29 October. The Scottish Storytelling Centre can help you out...

• Bookmark Tell-A-Story-Day page now