Aberdeen Central Library is hosting a special World Book Day evening of poetry and music this week to celebrate the North East’s poets, past and present.
The event takes place this Wednesday (5 March) between 6 and 7.30pm and launches The Wee Gaitherin’ Heritage Exhibition which runs at the library until World Book Night on 23 April.
Contemporary Poets, including Hugh McMillan, Shane Strachan, Cáit O'Neill McCullagh Nicola Furrie-Murphy, Neil Young and Lesley Benzie, will read their own works as well as extracts from some renowned writers of the past, from 1320 through to the 21st century. Accomplished local musicians, David & Gloria Potter, will also entertain with their music and song. Free refreshments will also be available.
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said: “Aberdeen and the North East has a strong and distinctive tradition of poetry and song that stretches back many centuries. The Wee Gaitherin Heritage Exhibition is a welcome opportunity to celebrate our local literary heritage and keep it alive for the future.
“Over the last 700 years, North East writers have produced a considerable body of imaginative works in poetry and fiction. The exhibition will not only give much pleasure to readers of all ages, the texts will hopefully inspire new writing and fresh talent."
The exhibition will run from 6th March 2025, World Book Day, through to World Book Night on 23rd April 2025.
The exhibition grew out of its charitable community engagement program and owes its existence to the enormous amount of work generously volunteered by Gloria Potter who curated and organised all the other local writers/artists and local history enthusiasts involved.
In addition to celebrating the long and rich written cultural heritage of the North East, this significant legacy exhibition offers a wide array of poetry from the output of workshops with school pupils and all-age workshops held within Stonehaven library, who were hugely supportive partners.
To reserve your place online at http://bit.ly/ACLEventsCalendar, email libraryevents@aberdeencity.gov.uk or phone 01224 070707.