Details of some fantastic looking events happening in Edinburgh Libraries next month:
Maggie O’Farrell
At every author event we hand out questionnaries asking our audience which other authors they would like us to book. “Get us Maggie O’Farrell!” they say. So we have.

There’s been a fantastic response to the “Room with our view” poetry installation in Central Library. Take a look at these cracking pics to see what all the fuss is about.

For the next six weeks the Central Library Mezzanine will be transformed by a unique installation created by some of the city’s teenagers. Forget Tracey Emin, this installation consists of an entire bedroom, and not only that, it’s filled with poetry! Carefully printed on the duvet, the pillows, the mirror, the curtains, slippers, T shirts, their shoes, writings by the Young Edinburgh Writers (YEW) express their individual view of the world and the things in it. It’s an exhibition unlike anything you’ll ever have seen before!

A packed programme of events in libraries next month includes poetry, propaganda, crime and cathedrals – get booking now!

Love (and glitter) was in the air in the Central Library Boardroom on Wednesday, when Reader in Residence Ryan Van Winkle sprinkled some poetic magic over our Valentine’s Card Making Workshop attendees. This year, tired shop bought verses will be no match for our sparkling, sequinned and beribboned cards, featuring the most romantic of sentiments from T.S.

“Roses are red, violets are blue, what else should I write, I haven’t a clue…”
Tired of shop-bought sentiments? Lost for words? Why not let our resident poet Ryan Van Winkle and his articulate friends (Keats, Burns, Shakespeare…) help you find the right words to woo that special someone?
Ryan will provide all your card-making materials and poetry, just bring your creative flair!

Click to view slideshow.
These wonderful illustrations by John Faed vividly tell the story of Robert Burns’ poem, ‘The Cotter’s Saturday Night’. Burns wrote The Cotter’s Saturday Night over the winter of 1785 – 86 when he was 26 years old.

If you’ve been enjoying “Birdsong” on the telly recently you might be interested a literary walk taking place next Tuesday (31st January). Meet outside Craiglockhart Community Centre at 10.30am for a stroll round Craiglockhart Pond followed by a visit to the War Poets Collection at Edinburgh Napier University. We should finish around noon.
Everyone’s welcome. To book your place contact Carol Marr on 0131 529 5547 or email oxgangs.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

Why not have yourself a different kind of Burns night on the 25th of January? No cowrin’ tim’rous beasties among this lot:

This year’s Green Pencil Awards took place at Edinburgh Central Library recently.   The Green Pencil Award is a creative writing competition with an environmental theme, open to all Primary 4 to Primary 7 children in Edinburgh.
Over 1100 entries were received this year giving the judges a difficult task to select the winners.   Edinburgh’s  Makar, Ron Butlin, presented the overall prize to James Macnab of Cargilfield Primary School for his poem ‘The Last Christmas Tree’.