NZ poet’s visit

A NEW ZEALAND poet and doctor is visiting Shetland later this month as part of a poetry exchange being run to celebrate this year’s Commonwealth Games.

Glenn Colquhoun will be in Shetland as part of the Scottish exchange leg of Commonwealth Poets United from 27-31 May.

In March, Shetland resident and T.S. Eliot prize winner Jen Hadfield met Colquhoun in his home country. He will appear at Shetland Library for a public event on Wednesday 28 May and will visit schools in Yell for workshops and readings on Friday 30 May.

Commonwealth Poets United is an international exchange between six Scottish poets and writers from six Commonwealth nations: Canada, India, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria and South Africa.

The aim is to establish relationships between artists, organisations and communities through a “culturally enriching poetry exchange”.

In addition to taking part in public festivals and events and schools visits, the poets’ schedule includes “time to explore Scotland at their own pace, and visit places they have always wanted to visit”.

* Next Wednesday’s library event will be compered by Hadfield, and Colquhoun will be joined by one of Shetland’s finest contemporary poets, Jim Mainland. The event is free and doors will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.