| A new series of the Subway Stanzas poetry posters delighted passengers on the Glasgow Underground, starting in September last year and finishing this month.
This series has featured six poems by poets from countries in the Commonwealth, and the posters were put up in collaboration with Glasgow City Council, in support of Glasgow’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
There has now been poetry on the Glasgow underground since 2005, and the poems have gripped the imagination of passengers. From deeply personal responses towards particular poems, to appreciative comments from people whose journeys have simply been brightened by the posters - ‘A few inspiring words in a bleak underground is a great way to start the day, (and come home with)’ – these unexpected poems have surprised many people into writing to us. And we are sure there are many more people reading these posters; as one person wrote, ‘ Often I watch other people reading the poems so I know I am not the only one enjoying them.’
Below are some more of the comments we’ve received about Subway Stanzas, and a full list of this series of poems for everyone who has written to ask.
‘Just wanted to say that I totally love the poem in the subway! Brought a tear to my eye…’
‘I think the whole idea of poetry on the Underground is superb, and it is great to see people standing on the platform actively engaging with poetry (indeed, you can often see the look of annoyance when a train arrives, cutting off the view of the poem!).’
‘In a world where the media seems bent on a relentless process of dumbing down and insulting the intelligence of most in the process, it comes as a great relief and pleasure to see something of real intrinstic value.’
‘What a pleasant surprise when I went on the subway today, a great poem!! Brought lots of memories back and many things about Glasgow.’
Have you been reading the poem posters too? If you would like to tell us what you thought of them, please email us or write to the Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate Edinburgh EH8 8DT.
‘Runner’ , written by Robert Seatter from England, marked the Great Scottish Run. The poem comes f rom Travelling to the Fish Orchards published by Seren.
‘The jive’ by Mafka Gwala from South Africa celebrated the Big Big World Music Festival in October, and is published in Ten South African Poets published by Carcanet Press.
‘The Butterfly’ by Arun Kolatkar from India celebrated the Inspiration Children’s Festival in November and is from The Oxford India Anthology of Twelve Modern Indian Poets published by Oxford University Press.
‘I’ll wake up one morning’/’Dùisgidh mi aon mhadainn’ by Morag Montgomery celebrated Celtic Connections, Scotland’s biggest folk music festival, in January and is from An Tuil, An Anthology of 20 th century Scottish Gaelic Verse published by Polygon.
‘Falling Feeling’ by Finuala Dowling from South Africa celebrated Valentine’s Day in February and is from I Flying published by Carapace Press and finally…
‘Folding the Sheets’ by Rosemary Dobson from Australia celebrated International Women’s Day in March and is from Collected Poems published by Angus & Robertson.
This series of posters was produced by the Scottish Poetry Library with the support of the Glasgow advertising company Non Stop Advertising, Strathclyde Public Transport, Primesight and Glasgow City Council.
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