StAnza, Scotland's international poetry festival from 6-14 March will mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the Soviet Union as a political unit with a focus on languages from countries of the former Eastern bloc under the title Beyond the Iron Curtain. The 2021 programme will feature poets and events dedicated to the languages of Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and North Macedonia. As well as showcasing poets working in languages from these countries, including minority languages and dialects, the festival will have a selection of installations and online exhibitions, giving audiences an insight into the poetry scene and touching on some of the recent unrest from this part of the world.

A number of award-winning poets will be among those reading and performing at StAnza next month as part of the Beyond the iron Curtain programme including Kateryna Babkina, Ilya Kaminsky, Lyuba Yakimchuk, Bela Chekurishvili, pictured, Eta Dahlia, Marina Kazakova, Maria Stepanova, Volha Hapeyeva, Valzhyna Mort, Ligija Purinaša, Adam Zagajewski and many others. As well as individual poets, the festival programme also includes various events celebrating poetry and culture from these countries.

Festival director Eleanor Livingstone said: "We are delighted to offer a platform to a diverse range of poets from these countries to celebrate their culture as part of our first digital, hybrid festival."

StAnza traditionally focuses on two themes which interweave with each other. This year's themes are fittingly 'Make It New' and 'No Rhyme nor Reason'. Events are free but ticketed and places can be secured online. More details