StAnza gets set to launch its Virtual Poetry Festival

5 juni 2009 Poets from as far afield as New York, Berlin and Tblisi have already signed up for the event at The Byre Theatre, St Andrews, Fife, on Saturday 14th November this year. The poets, reading at live events in their own countries, will be linked up by satellite to the audience in St Andrews.

“We came up with the idea during our festival in March,” says Artistic Director, Eleanor Livingstone. “At the last minute, one of our poets was unable to come to StAnza. We found a way to link up with him in Amsterdam, so that he could still have a live ‘virtual’ presence at his event. It worked brilliantly and we immediately saw ways in which we might develop the idea.” Eleanor started contacting poetry event organisers abroad about collaborating in an evening of satellite readings. “They were just as enthusiastic – the emails came back almost by return, all saying: ‘Yes! Count us in.’” So far the line-up includes poets in Berlin, Amsterdam, Ghent, Geneva, Skye, Tbilisi, California, and Rochester in New York State. “With online streaming of the event, we will be able to expand the audiences even further,” Eleanor adds.

Full programme and ticket details will be announced later this summer. Regular updates will also appear on www.stanzapoetry.org and via Facebook and Twitter.