StAnza: 2024 line-up and ticket launch for poetry festival in St Andrews

It has unveiled its line-up of poets and creatives, and tickets for shows, which run between March 8 and 10, are now on sale at www.stanzapoetry.org

Performers from across the world are heading to the university town for a programme which includes workshops, exhibitions, walks and open mic events as it celebrates poetry in all its forms and many languages.

Among this year's headline acts are Daljit Nagra, chair of the Royal Society of Literature and host of BBC Radio 4's Poetry Extra, and the highly acclaimed poet, Leontia Flynn, described by John McAuliffe of the Irish Times as 'not only one of the best writers of her generation but who seems, more and more, to be the voice of that generation'.

Sunday evening will see poet, novelist, musician and TS Eliot Prize-winner, Anthony Joseph, take to the Poetry Centre Stage alongside prolific writer and winner of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, Fleur Adcock. They will be joined across the weekend by acts such as Jason Allen-Paisant, fresh from his historic wins of both the 2023 Forward Prize for Poetry and the recent TS Eliot Prize; Scotland's Makar, Kathleen Jamie; Saltire Society lifetime achievement award winner, Liz Lochhead; and the popular prize-winning author of Boy Friends and The Cat Prince & Other Poems, Michael Pedersen.

Audiences can also expect exhibitions, hands-on creative workshops, poetry films, and music over the course of the weekend, promising something for poetry lovers of all ages.

This year's theme, Warp and Weft: a tapestry of poetry, will celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of poetry – from past to present.

Ryan Van Winkle, StAnza's artistic director, said: 'Weaving, knitting and embroidery, like poetry, are old practices requiring intricate craft. Masters and artists in both fields are not bound by the past but build on it as they innovate and make modern work from traditions. Pen and paper, needle and thread, fibres and looms – each artist has their own tools, their own style and voice, and we're proud to bring them together for 2024.'

StAnza offers a Pay-What-You-Can tiered ticketing system for its live, in-person events. Young Scot Card holders are also eligible for discounted tickets.