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From Glasgow to Saturn: Edwin Morgan • Carry a Poem • Edwin Morgan [more] Why Edwin Morgan is still Scotland’s best-loved poet [more] The First Men On Mercury • A comic adaption by METAPHROG [more] Birthday champagne as Edwin Morgan, 89, opens own archive [more] Opening of the EDWIN MORGAN ARCHIVE at the Scottish Poetry Library [more] From Glasgow to Saturn to Edinburgh • The Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition 2009 [more] From Saturn to Glasgow • Fifty Favourite Poems by Edwin Morgan [more]
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This exhibition is presented in partnership with The Edwin Morgan Archive, The Scottish Poetry Library and St Andrews Preservation Trust.
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StAnza Exhibitions: From Glasgow to Saturn: Edwin Morgan A selection of works from the Edwin Morgan Archive Thu 18 - Sun 21 March | 2.00-5.00pm A selection of works from the Edwin Morgan Archive. |
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Carry a Poem Rory Bremner carries his in his head. Lorraine Kelly pins hers to her jacket. How do you carry yours? In your wallet? In your pocket? On your Ipod? In February 2010 Edinburgh’s residents will be challenged to carry a poem as thousands of free Carry A Poem books and pocket poetry cards are handed out across the city as part of its fourth citywide reading campaign. The free Carry a Poem book shows how Scots from all walks of life carry poems with them, and reveals the stories behind the poetry choices. The book will be distributed all across the city, through arts and leisure centres, libraries, cafes, and primary and secondary schools, with residents being called on to catch poetry fever this February. It can be a verse, a haiku, a line or just a few words – but you’ll be amazed how much poetry you carry with you without even knowing it. Share your story and the poem you love with us – tell us how you carry yours! If you don’t have a particular verse in mind – don’t worry – be inspired by the stories and poems in the book, on the website or at an event, and discover a new poem to carry with you.
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September 19, 2009 Why Edwin Morgan is still Scotland’s best-loved poet Edwin Morgan is the most mercurial of poets, equally happy writing concrete poems, sonnet sequences or developing new forms that magically fit their occasions. He finds subject matter everywhere: a consideration of William Wallace might sit alongside a tribute to Jimi Hendrix’s performance at Woodstock; and the reader can expect to be addressed by an apple or Emperor Hirohito or Edith Piaf. Or Gertrude Stein on Venus. Morgan’s work is lit with a tireless curiosity: “Deplore what is to be deplored,/ and then find out the rest”. Since his first publication in 1952, Morgan has produced a dazzling river of poetry, and the judgment of his fellow poet Liz Lochhead has become proverbial: “There is nothing he couldn’t make a poem out of.”
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The First Men On Mercury
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The First Men On Mercury "When Duncan Jones at the Association for Scottish Literary Studies contacted us about a year ago to see if we would be interested in adapting The First Men on Mercury into comic form, we were thrilled. The poem, being largely dialogue based, perhaps lends itself more readily to a comic adaptation, and we also were excited about trying our hand at science fiction. The only restriction we were given was that the comic had to fit on four A4 pages. Very quickly we came up with a proposed layout, which was revised two or three times, to get the pacing right. In the poem there is no narration, but we all thought that for the comic to work as a story, it would be necessary to show the arrival of the Earthmen on Mercury. This we kept silent. The original text was of course kept intact. We were acutely aware that by adding any images we were simultaneously going to be taking something away from a reader's own visual interpretation of the poem read as pure text, and so tried to be as sensitive as we could to this fact. It proved to be great fun and we were delighted to receive the poet's blessing. We hope you will enjoy our graphic interpretation of Edwin Morgan's original poem." Sandra and John (metaphrog)
To mark National Poetry Day – 8 October 2009 – the Association for Scottish Literary Studies is distributing over 32,000 copies of a comic-strip adaptation of Edwin Morgan’s poem ‘The First Men on Mercury’ to every Secondary school pupil in the poet’s home city of Glasgow. ‘The First Men on Mercury’ is one of Edwin Morgan’s science fiction poems – fizzing with ideas and bubbling with invention. It’s simultaneously fascinating, funny and just a little bit disconcerting, as we witness first contact between the brave explorers from Earth and the native inhabitants of the planet Mercury. The form of the poem makes it ideal for adaptation into comic-strip form. For this project, ASLS collaborated with metaphrog: the Glasgow-based duo behind the critically acclaimed Louis series of graphic novels. |
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From The Times April 27, 2009 Birthday champagne as Edwin Morgan, 89, opens own archive Mike Wade In between times, he nursed his champagne, dined on Jaffa Cakes and wore a smile which grew as the praises rained down.
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Opening of the EDWIN MORGAN ARCHIVE More Information you'll find [here]
Edwin Morgan opens archive on 89th birthday
More than six decades of publishing history was unveiled yesterday as Scotland's first National Poet Edwin Morgan revealed more could yet come. The poet was celebrating his 89th birthday at the launch of an exhibition and archive. Although in a wheelchair, Morgan looked well and relaxed among friends such as Liz Lochhead, the Glasgow Poet Laureate, and Hamish Whyte, at the official opening of the Edwin Morgan Archive at the National Poetry Library in Edinburgh. On his health, Morgan, who is battling cancer following a stroke last year, said: "I'm not too bad. I'm getting regular injections so it is keeping it at bay." He said he has difficulty writing but was pleased to have been asked for a series of works from Tommy Smith, one of Scotland's leading jazz musicians. The saxophonist's work includes a recording called Evolution comprised of a series of compositions inspired by the poet. Together with new musical scores and verse, it is hoped it will make up a work called Planet Waves. Morgan said of the archive and exhibition: "It is very good to be here in a sense, in that usually you are dead when you have that (a public archive). It is very well done. There is a great variety of stuff there." The acquisition and development of the archive was made possible by a £50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and support from The Binks Trust, The National Fund for Acquisitions and The Friends of the National Libraries. It represents the most significant and accessible gathering of Morgan's work in print and media, and pays homage to a remarkably broad and vivid career. Many items are annotated by Morgan, providing an illuminating insight into the mind of the poet. His desk, chair, Adler Blue Bird typewriter and a rogue bottle of absinthe from his fabled absinthe evenings are just some of the treasures on display. Mr Whyte admitted it was like "cutting the umbilical chord" to pass over the items, but he said it was better they should be on public view. He added: "It took me over 30 years to collect the stuff, with Eddie's help of course. "We are hoping to add to it by bringing out a small collection of new poems. There are about half a dozen poems from about a year-and-a-half ago that could be included." Julie Johnstone, curator of the archive, said: "The insight into publishing over the last six decades is extensive, and we are constantly coming across delightful surprises."
Poem of the week
The scaffolding has gone. The sky is there! hard cold high clear and blue. Clanking poles and thudding planks were the music of a strip-down that let light through At last, hammered the cage door off its hinges, banged its goodbye to the bantering dusty brickie crew, Left us this rosy cliff-face telling the tentative sun it is almost as good as new. So now that we are so scoured and open and clean, what shall we do? There is so much to say And who can delay When some are lost and some are seen, our dearest heads, and to those and to these we must still answer and be true. September-November 2002 You can borrow items by Edwin Morgan from the Scottish Poetry Library, and view the Archive – it also lends by post. Tel: 0131-557 2876, e-mail reception@spl.org.uk or visit www.spl.org.uk.
From Glasgow to Saturn to Edinburgh SCOTTISH POETRY LIBRARY ACQUIRES EDWIN MORGAN ARCHIVE The Heritage Lottery Fund has given the Scottish Poetry Library (SPL) an award of £50,000 to acquire and develop an archive relating to Edwin Morgan, Scotland’s National Poet. The announcement comes just in time for National Poetry Day on October 4 2007. Glaswegian Edwin Morgan is best known for his involvement with the Concrete Poetry Movement and has a strong international presence due to his wide range of poetry translations. The archive will include an array of his works in print and other media, and significantly shows the large span of his work and the diversity in content and context. Although based in Edinburgh, the SPL will allow a lot of the items from the archive to be accessible to everyone online. Additionally, many items will be touring the country. Colin McLean, Manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scotland said: “Edwin Morgan’s poetry will be brought to life for people who may never come across him.” Hamish Whyte - friend, publisher and bibliographer to Morgan - has been compiling the archive together for over 30 years. He said: “The SPL is the ideal home for the Edwin Morgan archive. It will be able to provide the right context.” Edwin Morgan is an Honorary President of the SPL and supported it in various ways including donating a collection of Ian Hamilton Finlay’s works. Morgan’s support and complimentary poetry in comparison to Finlay’s gives the donation of his archive an even more apt place amongst the library’s exhibitions. Find further information [here]
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(back row, l-r: Ron Butlin, Paul Batchelor, David Kinloch; front row, l-r: Polly Clark, Emily Hasler, Sheenagh Pugh, Diana Hendry)
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The Edwin Morgan International
The prizewinners in the second Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition were announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 25th August, 2009. The competition, launched by Vital Synz and sponsored by the University of Strathclyde, is one of the richest poetry competitions in Britain and has the support of Edwin Morgan OBE, Scotland's national poet and one of the most prominent writers of the 20th century. The prizes were presented by competition judges Ron Butlin and Polly Clark at a ceremony chaired by David Kinloch. (1st Prize, £5000): Paul Batchelor (2nd Prize, £1000): Emily Hasler (3rd Prize, £500): Sheenagh Pugh (Runner-up, £50): Diana Hendry (Runner-up, £50): Laura Solomon |
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From Saturn to Glasgow These fifty favourite poems, chosen by poets, writers, politicians, musicians, and those who voted through libraries, websites and by post, are yours to discover: perhaps they'll be your favourites, perhaps they'll be new to you, but we can guarantee there's something for everyone in this collection. Edited by Robyn Marsack and Hamish Whyte "We love Edwin Morgan's poetry precisely because it is so incredibly various. We will all have our favourite Morgan love poem and our favourite Morgan Glasgow poem and our favourite Morgan theatre poem... and then this'll depend whether, today, we happen to want a dark favourite or a delight. But, finally, I have chosen 'The First Man on Mercury' because it is so dramatic (a huge epic story happens before our very ears); so funny (you can crack up an audience of seven-year-olds by reading this poem out loud); and so bravely generous and open to the universal truth of change and transformation brought about by even the attempt to communicate." Liz Lochhead
From Saturn to Glasgow. Edinburgh: Scottish Poetry Library, 2008. |
