THE SCOTTISH Poetry Library is to welcome two writers, Iain Sinclair and Brian Catling, on March 24. This special event marks a rare Scottish appearance by Sinclair, London’s "radical laureate" and populariser of psychogeography, whose admirers include Peter Ackroyd, Alan Moore, Stewart Lee, Will Self, and William Gibson.
Sinclair is the author of a series of autobiographical novels and non-fiction chronicling London’s changing face. His works include Downriver, winner of the 1992 James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and London Orbital (2002), his account of his circumnavigation of the M25.
Brian Catling was born in London in 1948 and is a sculptor, poet, novelist, film maker and performance artist. His 2015 novel The Vohrr was praised by Tom Waits and Alan Moore and he is currently working on a new project with Terry Gilliam.
scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk
THE Nòs Ùr songwriting competition is to return giving Gaelic and Scot’s Song writers, singers and groups the chance to win £500 and one-on-one mentoring from established artists.
The Gaelic and Scots song writing competition was founded by Hands Up for Trad in collaboration with Creative Scotland.
There will be two winners – one for a Scots song and one for a Gaelic song – and songwriters are invited to submit a new and original song in either language via the Hands Up for Trad website which will then be considered by an industry panel. Hopefuls must submit entries by April 7.
Nòs Ùr is part of Scotland Sings, a Hands Up for Trad project launched in 2012, designed to bring new participants and audiences together through singing. The initiative offers choirs, choir leaders and individual singers a platform to showcase their work.
Event founder and Hands Up for Trad Creative Director, Simon Thoumire, pictured, said: “We have a wealth of incredibly talented musicians in Scotland and we’re really excited to be working with Creative Scotland to see what bright new stars Nòs Ùr unveils."
projects.handsupfortrad.scot/scotlandsings/nos-ur/
A SCOTTISH photography gallery is appealing to music fans who might have photographs or memorabilia from gigs in the 1970s to help preserve a piece of rock music history.
Currently staging an exhibition on the Rock Against Racism movement in the UK, Glasgow’s Street Level Photoworks is hoping to hear from Scottish fans who might have material of their own from gigs or festivals held under the Rock Against Racism banner.
Rock Against Racism: Photographs by Syd Shelton is the largest exhibition of photographs on the subject brought together in the UK, featuring bands such as The Clash, Elvis Costello, Misty in Roots, Tom Robinson and The Specials.
The gallery has been able to source a small amount of Scottish material which is also on show, including photographs from the anti-racist Carnival in Craigmillar Park, Edinburgh, in August 1978 which was attended by up to 8,000 music fans, but they would like to find more and ask anyone with photographs or other memorabilia to be in contact. streetlevelphotoworks.org
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