Pamphlet Fair at NLS
Posted December 16, 2010 6:05 pm by Andrew Martin | Permalink
Last night, with a fine turnout of publishers and poets, it was the annual Scottish Pamphlet Poetry Christmas Fair here at National Library of Scotland, one of the regular events associated with the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award.
Poets Tessa Ransford – Callum Macdonald’s widow – and
Applications are now open for the 2011 Callum Macdonald Memorial Award which is supported by The Michael Marks Charitable Trust and administered by the NLS. Information on the award – with a list of past winners – is available on the NLS website. Poetry from various recent short-listed pamphlets for the award feature on our National Poetry Day web pages.
Last night it was the annual Scottish Pamphlet Poetry Christmas Fair here at National Library of Scotland. Not only did the many visitors get a chance to purchase pamphlets from the many poets/publishers present, but there was an impressive array of readings. In a new departure this year’s event gave the stage to over 30 poets and allowed them just two minutes to do their piece – so anyone with a rambling introduction or lengthy verses was invariably cut off in mid-flow ! Poet and NLS staff member Graeme Hawley was the compere who kept the poets in check with clock and clashing cymbal. Among the many poets not too intimidated were prize-winners such as Edinburgh’s Makar Ron Butlin, Elizabeth Burns, Hazel Cameron , and Nancy Somerville. More information on the poets and publishers can be found at