StAnza: Scotland’s international poetry festival unveils full line-up for 2022
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StAnza is planning a return in hybrid form combining the best live and online performances from March 7-13.
The long-established event has unveiled a host of prize-winning poets in a festival programme under the title ‘Stories Like Starting Points.’
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Hide AdStAnza, one of Europe’s leading literary festivals, will feature over 100 poets and artists across 110 events, projects and installations to live and digital audiences for five days.
The hybrid format will include a full live programme with traditional favourites such as readings and round table events, as well as an online strand capturing the full potential of the digital realm.
Headliners include Scotland’s national poet, Kathleen Jamie, a previous winner of the Forward Prize, and Scotland’s Book of the Year, and Luke Kennard, this year’s winner of the Forward Prize for Best Collection.
They will be joined by Robin Robertson, winner of the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, the Goldsmiths Prize for innovative fiction and the Roehampton Poetry Prize for his narrative poem The Long Take.
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Hide AdOther artists performing include acclaimed rapper, playwright and world record holding beatboxer, Testament, Japanese author and poet Takako Arai, writer, journalist and political activist Gëzim Hajdari, poet and writer Holly Pester, performance poet Paula Varjack, Scottish author J.O. Morgan, writer and performer Harry Josephine Giles, and poet and disability rights activist, Daniel Sluman.
Lucy Burnett, festival director said: "It’s always exciting to launch a festival programme but this year, even more so for StAnza as we relaunch ourselves as we emerge from the pandemic.
“Our 2022 festival title, Stories Like Starting Points, is very apt as we start on our journey to redefine StAnza as an intervention in poetry, as well as being part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.”She added: “With the cultural sector bearing the brunt of the pandemic over the last 18 months we’re thrilled to be announcing such an ambitious, diverse line-up, combining some of the biggest names in poetry alongside some of the newest and exciting, upcoming talent.
“We’re keeping everything crossed that Covid will not prevent us from realising the full ambition of the festival.”