StAnza Poetry Festival: 16th March

The 2006 St Andrews StAnza Poetry Festival runs from Thurs 16th to Sun 19th March. Full details with a complete program can be found at www.stanzapoetry.org. Ticket bookings from The StAnza Box Office, Byre Theatre, St Andrews, 01334 475000 or at www.bryetheatre.com.

1pm - 1.45pm - Festival Launch
Parliament Hall, South Street - Free
Robin Harper MSP and StAnza poet-in-residence Valerie Gillies, plus guests, will open the 2006 StAnza Poetry Festival.

2.15pm - 3pm - Meet the Artist: Land & Ecology
Preservation Trust Museum, North Street - Free
Meet Julie Johnstone, creator of hand-bound literary magazine Island.

2.15pm - 3.15pm - Reading: Translated Poets
Crawford Centre Studio Theatre, North Street - £4.50/£2.50
Two eminent Danish poets, Pia Tafdrip and Marianne Larsen, read in their native tongue and in translation.

3.45pm - 4.30pm - Dead Poets Session: Readings of Edward Thomas and Keith Douglas
The Oak Rooms, North Street - Free
Michael Longley and Own Sheers read from two war-time poets, and discuss their choices with chairman Colin Will.

5pm - 6pm - Reading: Two Nations
All Saints Hall, North Castle Street - £7.50/£3.00
American poet Thomas Lux, and English poet Charles Bennett, read from their poetry collections.

8pm - 10pm - Reading: Celtic Links
Byre Theatre Auditorium, Abbey Street - £9.50/£4.50
American poet with Scottish and Irish roots Galway Kinnell joins leading Irish poet Michael Longley reading from their collections.

10.30pm - midnight - The StAnza Open Mic
Aikman's Bistro, Bell Street - £2 on door
Take the floor with your own poems at StAnza's lively open mic, with MC Jim Carruth. To present your own poetry to StAnza's late night audience, arrive at the venue early to add your name to the performer's list.