School of Night: Michael Pedersen & Iona Lee

“Michael’s poems are so physical you can almost touch the images in them. Fabulously sensual and alive. I adore poetry like this” – Stephen Fry

Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning poet from Edinburgh, whose array of accolades includes a Robert Louis Stevenson Award, being named a John Mathers Trust Rising Star of Literature, and being counted among the Canongate Future 40. He is a curator of the much-loved Neu! Reekie!, whose anarchic evenings of music and poetry have seen Liz Lochhead, Irvine Welsh, Hollie McNish, Young Fathers, and many more, take to the stage.

Michael visits the bookshop for a second time to celebrate the publication of Oyster, his second collection, and wonderful follow-up to his debut, Play With Me. Replete with illustrations by Scott Hutchison, and filled with language as textured, sparkling, and rollicking as you could want, Oyster is a clanjamfrie of pure joy.

Joining Michael will be Iona Lee, a poet and artist born and raised in Edinburgh, who was Scottish Slam Champion 2016. A student at the Glasgow School of Art, Iona often illustrates her work, and has appeared on radio, TV, and on the poetry stage at Glastonbury. An established figure on the Scottish  poetry scene, Iona is an excellent performer and we’re delighted to welcome her to the bookshop.

Restoring School of Night to its traditional first Tuesday of the month, this will be an awesome night of poetry for buffs and newbies alike — do come along!