| In the past few years reading groups have become a social phenomenon, with an estimated 15,000 now existing in Britain - but how many groups think of including poetry books along with their fiction choices?
Now the Scottish Poetry Library has come up with a novel way of tempting fiction readers to give poetry a try. And best-selling Edinburgh crime writer Ian Rankin is so inspired by the idea he has composed his own lines of verse to promote it.
The Scottish Poetry Library scheme pairs up reading group fiction favourites with poetry collections. Thus fans of Alexander McCall Smith may enjoy the poems of John Burnside, while those who loved Bridget Jones’s Diary are pointed towards poet Sophie Hannah.
The scheme, called 'Novel Approach: a poetry guide for fiction readers', launches during the week of National Poetry Day. Two of Scotland’s most entertaining performers and poets, Elspeth Murray and Richard Medrington, will visit libraries in Glasgow, Dumfries and Edinburgh to tempt readers to explore the wonderful world of poetry. Audiences will be given reading lists with further suggestions of fiction/poetry pairings and will be encouraged to browse the Scottish Poetry Library collections at their leisure.
Novelist Ian Rankin said of Novel Approach:
"What a fantastic idea, marrying novels with poetry. Since most novelists are failed poets anyway, we're thrilled by any and all comparisons to poets, and in a spirit of openness and cooperation I offer the following:
The author of 'Fleshmarket Close'
Was prone to be somewhat verbose
He tried writing a poem
With the thought: that'll show 'em
But was told by all: 'Best stick to prose!'
You can't argue with that..."
Poet Robert Crawford, whose collection Spirit Machines has been paired with Iain M Banks’ The Algebraist, said:
“I love any scheme that affirms that poetry is a vital part of the experience of reading: that it’s rich, enjoyable, and every bit as engaged with our lives today as is contemporary fiction.”
Booker-nominated novelist Sarah Waters, whose Night Watch is paired with Vicki Feaver’s new collection The Book of Blood, said:
“Novel Approach is a brilliant idea! We tend to think of novels and poems as quite separate things, but novelists always write with an ear for the music of language, and poetry is full of stories. This project will tease out the links across literature, and send people's reading lives in exciting new directions.”
Novel Approach launches:
Glasgow
Tuesday 3 October, 6.30pm
Level 5, Mitchell Library
Dumfries
Thursday 5 October, 2pm
Book with Andrew Forster on 01387 253383 or email andrew@dgaa.net
Lochthorn Library
Edinburgh
Tuesday 10 October, 6.30pm
Book your place on 0131 242 8104 or read@edinburgh.gov.uk
Blackhall Library
All three launches are free and open to all
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