British Library

We are thrilled to partner with the British Library to support an exciting discussion titled The New Divan: Celebrating Edwin Morgan in his Centenary

“In the centenary of the birth of one of Scotland’s greatest writers, a gathering of poets profoundly influenced by Edwin Morgan’s work will read their favourite Morgan poems and talk about his effect on them and the wider world. They will also read poems of their own which take off from one of Morgan’s many worlds. Chaired by the poet Richard Price, who knew Morgan for over twenty years, this will be an event of poetic exploration and celebration. The intention is to show the range of Morgan’s work and how it has travelled south of the border to inspire a diversity of poets and approaches.

For Morgan the idea of the ‘divan’ was an important one. A Persian word, he explored its multiple sense: a sofa to rest and on which to share conversation, a poetry collection with diverse poems, and, more generally, a lively gathering. The New Divan is also the name of his ambitious book recalling his experience as a stretcher-bearer in the Second World War.”

Richard Price is Head of Contemporary British Collections at the British Library and the author of Small World, winner of the SMIT Creative Scotland Poetry Book of the Year.