Scotland's National Poet Kathleen Jamie to end tour of libraries in Coatbridge

Award-winning writer Kathleen Jamie will hold a special event at Coatbridge Library next month celebrating the conclusion of her three-year term as Scotland’s Makar (national poet).

Kathleen, who succeeded Jackie Kay as Makar in 2021, has so far visited areas as far afield as Sutherland and Orkney as part of a farewell tour of Scotland’s libraries organised by the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh.

The final stop for her tour will take place in Coatbridge on July 11 - and will mark one of her last public appearances as national poet before she steps down from the role in August.

Kathleen, who has been a passionate advocate for public libraries throughout her career, had this to say about her farewell tour: “Every community has a library - or ought to.

“They are the sustainable centres of community action and communication, as well as houses of mind-expanding literature and knowledge.

“As national poet, there seemed no better way of getting out around the country than to visit local libraries and bring people together in shared interest and curiosity.

“The role of the Makar is to keep poets and poetry at the heart of public life.

“It’s easy to think of poetry as being in some way ‘private’ - and it can be - but it also has huge public impact.

“In my time as Makar - only two years - I have written public poems for the State Opening of Parliament, for the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, on the death of Queen Elizabeth and for large public events in Scotland.

“We have created public, collective poems on the state of nature, and in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

Kathleen studied philosophy at Edinburgh University, publishing her first poems as an undergraduate.

Her 1995 collection The Queen of Sheba won the Somerset Maugham Award and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the T S Eliot Prize and the Mail on Sunday/John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.

In recent years Kathleen has turned her pen to essays to much acclaim, with her collection Sightlines winning the John Burroughs Medal and the Orion Book Award in the USA.

She is currently Professor of Poetry at Stirling University and one of her poems is inscribed on the national monument at Bannockburn.

Kathleen will be joined at Coatbridge Library for an evening of poetry and conversation by the co-host of her poetry podcast Lantern , writer and broadcaster Alistair Heather.

Supporting the event will be poet Julie McNeill, who will perform a short set of poems from her most recent collections, Something Small and We Are Scottish Football .

Julie is the poet-in-residence for St Mirren Football Club Charitable Trust - the only female poet, as far as can be established, attached to a professional football club in the UK.

The event at Coatbridge Library on July 11 will run from 6.30pm to 7.30pm and is free to all.

However, places are strictly limited so bookings can be made online, in person at Coatbridge Library, or by calling 01236 856444.

Visit here for more details on Kathleen’s work.

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