“StAnza - "one of the most dynamic poetry festivals anywhere in the world!”

It wasn’t us who said this, but we certainly wouldn’t argue with it. StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival takes place next month, 18 - 22 March. For five packed days in the ancient university town of St Andrews festival-goers enjoy a choice of more than 70 events in exciting and atmospheric venues ranging from a medieval undercroft to the friendly buzzing scene in the Byre Theatre festival hub.  This year, our 12^th, around 100 will take part - world class poets of course, but also other writers, musicians, visual artists and actors. StAnza starts with poetry and then takes off from there, discovering the ways in which it interacts with other media and art forms. So there’s a plethora of free visual art exhibitions - including for 2009 a special commission from sculptor David Mach - music, a poetry film programme and, for the first time this year, drama - three plays, one specially written for StAnza as participants explore the dynamic between poetry and theatre in our theme Poetry Centre Stage - and yet another StAnza first, European polypoetry from sound poetry Trio Pas Lundi.

Carol Ann Duffy

From performance to avant-garde, StAnza celebrates poetry in all its forms. This year’s headliners include Carol Ann Duffy, Patience Agbabi, Peter Porter and Robert Crawford, and as well as poets who are also fiction writers, such as Sophie Hannah and Helen Dunmore, best selling crime writer Ian Rankin discusses poetry and crime fiction  and shares his passion for song lyrics with Simon Armitage. There will be no shortage of performance poets either with Elvis McGonagall in town and Martin Newell offering “poems, tunes, gags & yarns”. But StAnza is very much an international festival and this year we welcome poets from New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Lithuania and Italy as well as Switzerland to take part in every variety of reading and performance, plus panel events and talks, from the sometimes controversial annual StAnza Lecture to informal Poetry Breakfasts over coffee and pastries.

Helen Dunmore

One of the things which makes StAnza unique is its friendly and inclusive nature. People come once and then keep coming back to experience again being part of something special. There are plenty of ways to take part at StAnza, whether it’s by performing at the Slam, Open Mic or Poetry & Jazz Jam or joining others in workshops or masterclasses. And so much else happens in between and around events, in exchanges in the Byre café bar, or with new friends made over a lunchtime pie and pint at the Poetry Cabaret - StAnza is always much more than the sum of its poets. Full details can be found online at www.stanzapoetry.org - or by joining the StAnza Facebook Group -  and tickets are now on sale. Book before 18^th February to take advantage of the early bird discount.

Remember, “one of the most dynamic poetry festivals in the world” and barely a train ride away ….