Press Release
Bards in the Bog is back
Entries are already rolling in for the re-launch of Shetland Library's popular scheme to put original poetry in public toilets: Bards in the Bog.
The original 'Bards' launched in 2009 and was part of the Poet Partner project, which teamed the Library with poet Jen Hadfield. The scheme attracted wide media attention and entries from all over the world. The Library published a book of the poems which raised over £1200 for a water sanitation charity.
After this, it was decided to wind the project down, but some poems still in toilets round the isles have continued to attract positive comment, and some venues have been requesting more poems for their toilets. Now Jen Hadfield is back at the Library as Reader in Residence, courtesy of a project funded by Creative Scotland and administered by Shetland Arts. This was the nudge needed to bring back Bards, said the Library's Acting Executive Manager, Karen Fraser:
"The novelty of Bards in the Bog has brought a huge amount of positive publicity to the Library and succeeded in bringing enjoyment of poetry into unexpected places. We decided it was good value to revive the project, especially while we have the bonus of working with Jen again."
Jen will be selecting six new poems to grace the doors of public toilets in Shetland. Poems can be on any subject, but must be no more than 12 lines long so that they can be printed in large print on an A4 sheet, and should be written by the entrant. Prospective Bards can send or drop in entries to the Shetland Library or email them to shetlandlibrary@shetland.gov.uk, including their contact details.
Deadline for submissions is the 21st December, and the new poems will appear in toilets from January.
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