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A New Divan: A Centenary Celebration of the Poetry of Edwin Morgan

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A celebration of one of the most important British poets of the last fifty years, by contemporary poets and artists.

Simon Barraclough, Dzifa Benson, Nancy Campbell, João Concha, Kirsten Irving, Ricardo Marques, Peter McCarey and Richard Price read Morgan's poems and each responds with a work of their own.

Taking its name from one of his collections, this evening is a 'divan' in the Persian sense of a gathering of people sitting on a virtual sofa sharing their poems and news, not unlike the concept of the 'ceilidh' in Scotland, where Morgan grew up and lived.

Join us on the poetry couch for an unrivalled insight into this remarkable poet and a glimpse of the wealth of contemporary poetry which has grown up in a creative landscape partly created by him.

With thanks to:

The Edwin Morgan Trust

The Poetry Archive

Carcanet Press

Click here to read the poem’s featured in this event.

Speakers

Richard Price

Poet, Head of Contemporary British Collections

Simon Barraclough

Poet

Dzifa Benson

Artist

Nancy Campbell

Poet

João Concha

Artist and Publisher

Kirsten Irving

Poet

Ricardo Marques

Poet and Translator

Peter McCarey

Poet and Translator

Storytalks: Graphic Novels

Polarbear is joined by two of the UK's most exciting and talented graphic novelists, Joff Winterhart (Days of Bagnold Summers, Driving Short Distances) and Katriona Chapman (Follow Me In). Together they discuss their inspiration, and how they are breaking new ground in their use of graphics and storytelling to create dynamic work for this ever popular medium. This event is part of Storytalks, a series of talks from the UK’s storytelling experts programmed as part of Evolve, an imaginative programme of events and artworks within Devon’s Libraries. This event was livestreamed from Exeter Library on 10 October 2019.

Alice Through the Looking Glass with Chris Riddell and Friends

Join us here live: Sunday 4 July, 19:30 - 20:30.

Join illustrator Chris Riddell for a celebration of the classic book. This event is available to public library lovers and users through our partnership with the British Library.

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, appeared 150 years ago this year. Lewis Carroll’s fantastical book takes Alice off through the looking-glass on a second adventure, to a place even stranger than the Wonderland of her first.

Following on from his exquisite edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, one of our finest illustrators, Chris Riddell, has now brought Through the Looking Glass – and more of Lewis Carroll’s iconic characters – to vibrant, colourful life.

Join Chris and our actors for a celebration of this masterpiece of nonsense, with readings and live illustration.

Suitable for those aged 8 and above.

Buy a copy of Chris Riddell's Through the Looking Glass <a href="https://shop.bl.uk/collections/june-2021/products/through-the-looking-glass" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>

Watch our event celebrating the release of Chris Riddell's first edition - <a href="http://www.living-knowledge-network.co.uk/library/chris-riddells-alice-in-wonderland" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Riddell's Alice in Wonderland</a>

You can browse the range of Alice in Wonderland products available on the British Library online shop <a href="https://shop.bl.uk/collections/alice-in-wonderland" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>

10 Stories to Make a Difference

Join us here live: Thursday 24 June, 17:00 - 18:30.

A stellar line-up celebrates the publication of ten new children’s stories.

Join children’s writers and illustrators Philip Ardagh, Sita Bramachari, Alexis Deacon, Laura Dockrill, Jamila Gavin, Jay Hulme, Jane Ray, Chris Riddell, David Roberts, Marcus Sedgwick and others, for an exhilarating mixed-bill of performances, readings, illustration and conversation to celebrate the publication of 10 Stories to Make a Difference.

10 Stories is a limited edition collection of 10 inclusion-led illustrated titles for young readers of all ages, giving a platform to diverse new writers and illustrators and untold stories by well-known authors. The stories feature characters of colour, with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ themes. The event includes a panel conversation on LGBTQ+ visibility in children's books.

Published by national children’s literature development agency Pop Up, 10 Stories involved collaborations with 12 publishers and 20 writers and illustrators – nine making their debut, alongside established names who donated their work.

Pop up is a not-for-profit community interest company with a mission to transform lives through literature, especially through working with people in deprived places and challenging circumstances. Pop Up produces transformative programmes with schools, communities and writers and illustrators at every stage in their careers.

An Evening with Dolly Parton

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Multiple Grammy award-winning entertainment icon Dolly Parton is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, actor, author, businesswoman, the queen of country and a Glastonbury show-stopper. She was born in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children. Her father was a sharecropper who couldn’t read or write, but Dolly credits him as the inspiration for her Imagination Library, a book gifting programme devoted to giving children a love of reading, with over 100 million books distributed so far. Dolly’s prodigious musical output includes such classics as 9 to 5, Coat of Many Colours, I will Always Love You and Jolene. She also loves libraries, a lot.

Sara Cox celebrates 25 years of broadcasting by chatting to her all time hero Dolly Parton! Over her career Sara has hosted various shows on BBC Radio 1 and now has her dream job hosting Radio 2’s teatime show. She is also the host of the book discussion show Between The Covers as well as Back in Time and Love in the Countryside for BBC2. She had a Sunday Times bestseller with her memoir about growing up on the family farm Till the Cows Come Home and is currently working on her debut novel.

This event celebrates Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women's Rights, a UK-wide exhibition by the British Library and public libraries.

The Wonderful Lives of Mary Seacole and Elizabeth Anionwu

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This event took place on: 26 October 2020.

Emeritus nursing professor Elizabeth Anionwu grew up in care and went on to be named one of the most influential nurses in the history of the NHS. Her career was distinguished by her pioneering work in the understanding of sickle cell disease. Following her retirement she spent nine years fundraising and campaigning for a statue to Mary Seacole.

Mary Seacole (1805 – 1881) was a British-Jamaican entrepreneur and nurse whose adventures are related in one of the earliest autobiographies by a mixed-heritage woman. The statue, unveiled in 2016, was the UK’s first statue to represent a named black woman. Elizabeth will be discussing her and Seacole’s lives in this conversation with journalist and broadcaster Shyama Perera.

This event celebrates Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women's Rights, a UK-wide exhibition by the British Library and public libraries.

Michael Cashman

Speaker Position

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