A new poetry writing competition to mark the 900th anniversary of the capital has been launched by Edinburgh Libraries.
As part of the Edinburgh 900 celebrations taking place the city-wide contest invites local residents to share their creativity and love for Edinburgh through original poems.
The competition celebrates the city’s rich history, culture, and community spirit and six winning entries will be featured on exclusive bookmarks distributed throughout the capital’s council-run libraries.
Entries must be written about the City of Edinburgh in connection with the Edinburgh 900 celebrations. There are ten themes for the Edinburgh 900 which can be used as inspiration:
City of David
City of Faith
City of Commerce
City of Industry
City of Conflict
City of Finance
City of Ideas
City of Leisure
City of Celebration
City of Diversity
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the city’s poets to showcase their creativity and contribute to Edinburgh’s special celebrations.
“I’m excited to hear voices from all over the city capturing the spirit, beauty and history of our remarkable capital.
“Edinburgh has long been a city where literature thrives, as we mark 900 years these unique bookmarks provide another meaningful way to honour the city’s legacy and the power of words to connect and inspire.”
The deadline for submissions is Friday 31 January 2025. Entrants should reside in the Edinburgh postcode area and have an EH postcode and be 18 years or older.
Full details on how to enter and terms and condition are on the Edinburgh 900 website.
Edinburgh Libraries are among the thirteen services to receive a grant from the 2024/25 Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF). Administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) on behalf of the Scottish Government, the fund supports initiatives designed to inspire engagement across areas such as digital upskilling, sustainability and inclusivity.
Delivered in partnership with community repair hub The Edinburgh Remakery, this new project will promote sustainability through the provision of tech donation boxes in all 28 libraries in the city. Visitors will be able to donate their old devices, which will be repaired and given a new home if possible and recycled responsibly if not.
Other projects to receive a share of the 2024/25 fund include an interactive flora trail in Orkney, equality, diversity and inclusion training in Glasgow and workshops for young people facing digital exclusion in East Dunbartonshire.
As one of few open-access spaces left in our local communities, the remit of libraries is ever-evolving and service delivery teams maintain a sharp focus on meeting the needs of modern users. The PLIF 24/25 grant, launched in August this year, prioritised applications seeking to strengthen digital inclusion and sustainability efforts, as well as Gaelic and Scots language and new Scots languages initiatives.
The projects awarded PLIF 24/25 funding include:
‘Innovation Station’, a new teaching hub in Aberdeen City Library
‘Sensory Library Services’, for library users with additional support needs in Angus
‘Cultural Connections’, expanding the collections of Gaelic and Ukrainian language books in Dumfries and Galloway
‘Creating Social Engagement through Digital Activities’ with children and young people in East Dunbartonshire
‘Libraries and Remakery Partnership Project’, hosting tech donation boxes throughout Edinburgh
‘EDI: Change-making Leadership and Practice Development in Public Libraries’, management training in Glasgow
‘Library Digital Learning Stations’, promoting accessible, self-paced learning opportunities in Midlothian
‘Tech Trolley: Outreach for Inclusive Futures’, facilitating intergenerational learning in Moray
‘Beyond Ramps: Creating Safe and Supportive Library Spaces For All’, tackling barriers for physically disabled library users in North Lanarkshire
‘Interactive Orcadian Flora Trail’, tackling social isolation in Orkney
‘Inclusive Libraries’, in partnership with Borders Additional Needs Group (BANG) in the Scottish Borders
‘Libraries Empower Connections’, taking on child poverty and digital exclusion in West Dunbartonshire
‘Fèis Ghàidhlig Leabharlainn’ (Libraries Gaelic Festival), literary arts workshops and events celebrating Gaelic language in the Western Isles
Alison Nolan, Chief Executive of (SLIC), said:“Public libraries offer truly diverse value to their communities. They provide access to vital services and resources, a wealth of social activities and are hubs for expression and creativity.
“Investment is so important for the continued provision of these services, and the Public Library Improvement Fund is one of the ways in which we bolster our public libraries.
“People, place and partnership are the pillars of our strategy for Scotland’s libraries, and this year’s winners captured the spirit of that vision. These thirteen projects expand on the vision of a library as solely a centre of literacy – they encourage civil engagement, expand people’s skillsets and celebrate the richness of local heritage.”
Culture Minister, Angus Robertson, added: “Libraries are at the heart of our communities, offering inclusive and accessible spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to learn, create, and connect.
“The Public Library Improvement Fund brings important projects to life, which will make a positive impact on people. This year’s 13 innovative projects show the difference libraries can make to communities and how they can help to unlock people’s potential, increase employability and improve wellbeing.”
The Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) is an annual £450,000 administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council on behalf of the Scottish Government that sees £200,000 given to support creative, sustainable and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland.
In October 2004, Edinburgh was designated the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, a permanent title celebrating Edinburgh’s status as a literary capital and pioneer in the UNESCO Creative Cities network.
The concept of a City of Literature was devised in Edinburgh by the Trust’s founding members Jenny Brown OBE, Catherine Lockerbie, James Boyle and Lorraine Fannin, trailblazing the way – there are now 53 UNESCO Cities of Literature across the world.
To mark the occasion, 60 representatives from Cities of Literature destinations across the global network came to Edinburgh for a four day conference as part of The Scottish International Storytelling Festival last week (21-25 Oct 2024).
The conference helped mark the achievements of the past two decades and to make plans for the future – ensuring that Edinburgh continues to stay firmly on the literary map.
As part of this conference the Cities of Literature attending from all over the globe carried on the annual tradition of donating a selection of books to the hosting city. This year’s donations sees a range of diverse and beautifully illustrated children’s books in the original language of each of these UNESCO Cities gifted to the Central Lending Library in Edinburgh.
Keira Brown, Communications and Community Manager for Edinburgh City of Literature Trust, said:‘It’s a wonderful initiative that the Cities of Literature decide to donate picture books from their city, showcasing the range of talent from this global network, giving back to Edinburgh for welcoming these delegates to the city for the week, such a beautiful idea reflecting the international connection that is so beneficial for the sector here in Edinburgh.’
Keira Brown from Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust and UNESCO Cities of Literature Coordinator, Hannah Trevarthen, with a selection of the donated books.
Nottingham’s City of Literature Director and UNESCO Cities of Literature Chair, Hannah Trevarthen, said: “It’s a fantastic tradition, donating children’s books to the city hosting the meeting every year, and one we hope will long continue.
“It’s our thank-you to the city for all of the hard work that goes into hosting the Cities of Literature delegates.’We hope that the children of Edinburgh will be inspired by the books from other Cities of Literature from around the world.’’
Within Edinburgh City of Literature Trust’s twenty year span, they have helped grow a global network of international literary cities, for the benefit of writers and literature professionals, bringing opportunities for paid commissions, supporting creative practice and broadening literary networks internationally.
At a more local level in Scotland, the Trust’s work has ranged from high profile campaigns to community-based Edinburgh projects, with bold, innovative work bringing communities together – connecting readers and writers as well as literary organisations in the Scottish literature scene.
The Trust has also long partnered with Edinburgh Library service, working to advocate the importance of librarians and libraries across the city.
Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, said: ““Donating children’s books is a wonderful tradition within the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network. Through our ongoing partnership we are thrilled to see this meaningful gesture from such a diverse network of cities.
“As the founding city of this international cohort of UNESCO Cities of Literature, we take immense pride in celebrating our 20th anniversary, and I truly hope this wonderful tradition continues for many years to come.”
Edinburgh City of Literature Trust birthday also contributes to the on-going Edinburgh 900 celebrations; marking the 900 year anniversary of Edinburgh – a city-wide celebration of Edinburgh’s history, culture and future.
Frogston Primary School in Edinburgh has been awarded a share of £200,000 to support a progressive diversity and inclusion project, as part of the 2023/24 School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF).
Administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), on behalf of the Scottish Government, the Fund supports creative and innovative projects within the school library sector in Scotland.
Available to all state-run nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools with a library, this year’s funding priority was given to applications which focused on supporting anti-racism and racial equality.
The £200,000 2023/24 SLIF has been allocated to a total of 21 initiatives across 13 local authority areas in Scotland, including the ‘Holistic Inclusion Hub’ project in Edinburgh.
Frogston Primary School’s ‘Holistic Inclusion Hub’ aims to support parents from diverse backgrounds and pupils with additional needs to meet, talk, learn, and access resources in a safe space.
The project, in collaboration with Edinburgh Libraries, aims to break down barriers with those who feel alienated from the school community and find it difficult to access school – and wider – services through the established channels, such as parents from ethnically diverse backgrounds and refugees.
This brings the total investment from the Scottish Government to £1.7m over the lifetime of SLIF, playing an important role in helping school library services achieve the key aims of ‘Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools: A National Strategy for School Libraries in Scotland 2018-2023’ – the strategic document for the development of school libraries in Scotland.
Congratulating the successful applicants, Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, said: “School libraries play a key role in our efforts to further boost literacy and continue improving attainment, but they are also places where positive values can be developed and celebrated.
“Projects supported by this funding will help young people to understand the harmful consequences of racism and ensure they feel empowered to challenge discrimination.
“Scotland’s school libraries are a vital resource, and all children should have access to the opportunities they provide. This funding will help ensure that young people from all backgrounds feel the full benefits.”
Available to all state-run nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools with a library, this year’s fund has been shared across 13 local authority areas, from Dumfries and Galloway to Aberdeen City.
SLIC accepts up to two individual approaches per local authority and an unlimited number of collaborative applications to ensure equal opportunities across Scotland, with priority for the 2023/24 funding given to project applications focusing on supporting anti-racism and equality.
Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive of SLIC, said: “School libraries play a key role in accelerating education and learning, and ensuring every young person has the chance to fulfil their full potential by enabling access to information and creative opportunities.
“Each child, school and local authority is different, with differing priorities, and therefore funding programmes like SLIF help to improve and expand the tailored services school libraries can provide. That’s why it’s great to see Scotland’s school library services being proactive with their approaches with strong applications coming in from schools eager to further develop these resources.
“We’re particularly proud to award support to those advocating for anti-racism and anti-discrimination through this year’s Fund, with many projects aiming to increase access and support for pupils who may experience barriers to learning, including those with Additional Support Needs (ASN) and pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL).
“Involving children and young people, and their families, in defining the school library service creates a flexible space for reflection and conversation where learning and creativity are encouraged in a nurturing environment. We look forward to seeing these initiatives come to life.”
For more information on The School Library Improvement Fund, visit:
Scottish Government Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, Neil Gray MSP, attended a literary lunch at Stockbridge Library yesterday to celebrate the ‘national reading moment’, as part of the Keep the Heid and Read! campaign.
Joining local book groups, as well as the library’s visually impaired audio book group, Mr Gray listened to live reads from renowned local crime author Gillian Galbraith at a special event coordinated by Edinburgh Libraries.
Hosted as part of the Keep the Heid and Read! campaign, led by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) in partnership with MHF the Mental Health Foundation and the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), with support from Baillie Gifford and many more, Gillian led a series of six-minute reads, followed by a Q&A session, to inspire people of all ages and abilities to read every day to help boost their mental health and wellbeing.
Joan Parr, Service Director Culture and Wellbeing for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Reading for pleasure can have a hugely positive impact on our wellbeing and the ‘Keep the Heid and Read’ campaign is a great way of reminding people about the health benefits of reading.
“Taking time out and reading something for just six minutes a day helps boost your mental health and there’s no better place to do this than our libraries which are full of a wide range of great materials.
“Our libraries are invaluable resources for local communities and we all know there’s so much more to them than just borrowing books – they are trusted and much-loved services which strengthen local communities and are essential for the wellbeing of everyone using them.”
Taking place during Mental Health Week 2022 (9-15 May 2022), the campaign, conceptualised by the post-lockdown plea for public libraries to reopen, encouraged people in Scotland to take part in the ‘national reading moment’ on Wednesday 11 May, with a pledge to read for just six minutes.
Research shows that reading for six minutes a day can reduce stress by 68 per cent – in people of all ages.
At the time of the event, the campaign had already surpassed its target of 300,000 pledged reading minutes, with support from around the country.
An online totaliser, capturing the growing number of reading minutes pledged towards the national reading moment, is available at: www.keeptheheid.scot.
Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “I’m delighted that so many people took part in the Keep the Heid and Read campaign led by the Scottish Library and Information Council.
“Reading not only sparks our imaginations but also boosts our mental health and well-being. I hope that everyone who took part will continue to enjoy these benefits by making reading a routine part of their daily lives.”
Pamela Tulloch, chief executive at SLIC said: “There has been such a positive response to the Keep the Heid and Read! campaign and we have seen such creativity go into special events around the reading moment, like the literary lunch at Stockbridge Library, which have helped bring people together and inspire the public to support the reading pledge.
“Our libraries are a fantastic resource, filled with an abundance of free reading materials – whatever your interests and ability; but they also play a valuable role in reconnecting communities. With the majority of libraries now reopen across Scotland following the pandemic, we hope these services will help the public take this easy-to-implement reading habit forward in daily life to benefit their wellbeing.”
To mark International Women’s Day 2022 we’re inviting residents and students from selected high schools, to help us create a brand-new mural for Central Library.
The mural will display portraits of an array of influential Edinburgh women, past and present. Inspired by a similar project that has been running in America since 2016 called ‘Work in Progress’, we’ll display the finished mural as part of an exhibition in the Central Library.
We’d like to invite you to get involved in creating the stencils of the nominated figures. Please join us at one of the three stencilling workshops at Central Library on 12, 19 and 26 March.
To kick off the celebration and project, we’ve got a very special discussion with local author Sara Sheridan, who talks about her favourite trailblazing Edinburgh women.
Sign up to our blog, Tales of One City, to watch the video:
We’re recording the visual signs of how life in Edinburgh has changed during these strange times on Edinburgh Collected, our online community archive (www.edinburghcollected.org).
We’re particularly keen to see the little acts of creativity and messages of thanks and positivity that are helping us all to keep smiling.
We’ve had some lovely picture memories shared to Edinburgh Collected so far.
Do you have any from your neighbourhood walk that you can add to Edinburgh Collected?
Anyone can create an account and add pictures and memories to Edinburgh Collected.
