A planned collaborative poetry event between four Scottish poets and four poets in Ukraine that was due to take place on Thursday 10 March as part of the StAnza international poetry festival is being reorganised to become an event to show support for the nation invaded and under attack by Russia. The festival runs from 7-13 March. A festival statement said: “In the current context, to speak of poetry, let alone to think of hosting a celebration of poetry, might seem trivial, or beside the point. Yet StAnza, Scotland's international poetry festival, strongly believes that words are never trivial, and that poetry can play a crucial role in helping us to respond to events such as those unfolding at present in Ukraine, and indeed in its own right to effect change.

“This week, our thoughts have very much been with our friends in Kyiv. Over the past year, StAnza and four Scottish poets (Hannah Lavery, Vicki Husband, Andrew Blair and Roseanne Watt) have collaborated with four poets in Ukraine (Les Beley, Lyuba Yakimchuk, Myroslav Yaiuk and Olena Hoseinova), and our partner festival Book Arsenal Kyiv, in a translation project called Beyond Any Curtain, which will feature both online and live at StAnza 2022.

“Obviously, the format of this event remains in flux, since the live appearance of the Ukrainian poets, let alone a zoom appearance, must remain incredibly unlikely at this point in time. However, we would like to take this chance to strongly encourage you to purchase either a live or a digital ticket to this event, the entire proceeds of which we will donate to the Ukraine relief and aid efforts (taking advice from our partners about how best to direct these). We hope that you will join us on the morning of Thursday 10 March, to share a thought for those in Ukraine, and to mark our respect in poetry and words. Tickets for online and live tickets can be purchased here - we hope that you will give generously."

Meanwhile an international poetry fundraiser for Ukraine is taking place on 9 March. Poetry for Ukraine will be raising money for the Ukrainian Red Cross and the Refugee Council. There will be readings from Charlotte Shevchenko Knight, Oleh Shynkarenko, Tetyana Denford, Joy David, Valya Dudycz Lupescu, Stephen Komarnyckyj, Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach, and Nicola Yurcaba. More details here