Colin McGuire
Appeared: 23 June
Colin McGuire is a poet and performer from Glasgow, who lives in Edinburgh, known for his dynamic, engaging live performances. He won the Outspoken Award for the 'film poetry' category in London in 2018. He has been a Lead Reader and Creative Writing Workshop facilitator for several years with Open Book Charity, running sessions in communities and prisons around Scotland. In 2020, he was an Ignite Fellow Awardee, awarded by the Scottish Book Trust. He is currently working on a book as part of this award. He regularly runs Mindfulness and Expressive Writing Workshops with schools, charities and libraries. He is also a qualified mindfulness-based living course teacher. His most recent collection is Enhanced Fool Disclosure (Speculative Books, 2018). He is also an ESOL teacher and is currently working with refugees.
Appeared: 23 June
Colin McGuire is a poet and performer from Glasgow, who lives in Edinburgh, known for his dynamic, engaging live performances. He won the Outspoken Award for the 'film poetry' category in London in 2018. He has been a Lead Reader and Creative Writing Workshop facilitator for several years with Open Book Charity, running sessions in communities and prisons around Scotland. In 2020, he was an Ignite Fellow Awardee, awarded by the Scottish Book Trust. He is currently working on a book as part of this award. He regularly runs Mindfulness and Expressive Writing Workshops with schools, charities and libraries. He is also a qualified mindfulness-based living course teacher. His most recent collection is Enhanced Fool Disclosure (Speculative Books, 2018). He is also an ESOL teacher and is currently working with refugees.
Spotlight on Independent Bookshops...
Typewronger Books
4a Haddington Place
Edinburgh EH7 4AE
Website: http://www.typewronger.com/
Email: [email protected]
Typewronger Books is a badly behaved bookshop, typewriter repair centre, publisher and events organiser based in the heart of Edinburgh. It started life as a pop-up at the Leith Walk Police Box where they sold books every Sunday in the street before moving to our current home next to McNaughtans, the oldest antiquarian bookshop in Scotland. Typewronger is the organiser of the Edinburgh Zine fair, and they've become known for their poetry events and eclectic Open Mic Nights, which since Covid have moved to YouTube! They're offering free delivery to Edinburgh residents all through lockdown and an outdoor browsing experience on sunny days. They hope to open our doors to the public very soon, but they're taking it slow.
Typewronger Books says, 'It's heart-warming that Colin chose us as his favourite, and speaks to a shared love of spoken word poetry. I hope after all this is over he'll be back in to read for us in person, but for now we'll tune in to Radio Makar!'
You can support Typewronger during the lockdown by ordering books from them. Contact them via their email: [email protected]. You can also browse what they already have in stock by clicking the link on their webpage: www.typewronger.com.
McGuire says, 'It's a tiny little book shop with lots of charm and typewriters just down from Elm Row on Leith Walk. I have been offered cups of tea there many times when browsing and as a lifelong tea head I can't complain about that.'
4a Haddington Place
Edinburgh EH7 4AE
Website: http://www.typewronger.com/
Email: [email protected]
Typewronger Books is a badly behaved bookshop, typewriter repair centre, publisher and events organiser based in the heart of Edinburgh. It started life as a pop-up at the Leith Walk Police Box where they sold books every Sunday in the street before moving to our current home next to McNaughtans, the oldest antiquarian bookshop in Scotland. Typewronger is the organiser of the Edinburgh Zine fair, and they've become known for their poetry events and eclectic Open Mic Nights, which since Covid have moved to YouTube! They're offering free delivery to Edinburgh residents all through lockdown and an outdoor browsing experience on sunny days. They hope to open our doors to the public very soon, but they're taking it slow.
Typewronger Books says, 'It's heart-warming that Colin chose us as his favourite, and speaks to a shared love of spoken word poetry. I hope after all this is over he'll be back in to read for us in person, but for now we'll tune in to Radio Makar!'
You can support Typewronger during the lockdown by ordering books from them. Contact them via their email: [email protected]. You can also browse what they already have in stock by clicking the link on their webpage: www.typewronger.com.
McGuire says, 'It's a tiny little book shop with lots of charm and typewriters just down from Elm Row on Leith Walk. I have been offered cups of tea there many times when browsing and as a lifelong tea head I can't complain about that.'
Theatre Spotlight on...
Assembly Roxy
2 Roxburgh Place
Edinburgh EH8 9SU
Website: https://www.assemblyfestival.com/roxy
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0131 623 3001
Assembly Roxy is a unique venue situated in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. A historic church, in our three spaces, we host a wide variety of events, ranging from theatre, music, dance, circus and spoken word, to ceilidhs, weddings and corporate events. We also provide a home for some 24 performing companies as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Assembly Team will be fundraising during August to be able to offer a hardship fund for many of the freelancers whom they consider family, but that they are unable to support through the government schemes.
Dani Rae, General Manager, Assembly, says, 'Assembly Roxy is delighted to have been selected as one of Colin’s favourite theatres in Edinburgh. We loved his show ‘The Wake Up Call’ which featured in our new writers programme in 2019- an engaging piece about going to bed which featured wonderful poetry and an appropriately dreamy soundscape. We look forward to welcoming artists and audiences again just as soon as we are able.'
McGuire says, 'Assembly Roxy is a great theatre space in Edinburgh. Not least because they put on a three-day run of my first one-person show in 2019, The Wake-Up Call.'
2 Roxburgh Place
Edinburgh EH8 9SU
Website: https://www.assemblyfestival.com/roxy
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0131 623 3001
Assembly Roxy is a unique venue situated in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. A historic church, in our three spaces, we host a wide variety of events, ranging from theatre, music, dance, circus and spoken word, to ceilidhs, weddings and corporate events. We also provide a home for some 24 performing companies as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Assembly Team will be fundraising during August to be able to offer a hardship fund for many of the freelancers whom they consider family, but that they are unable to support through the government schemes.
Dani Rae, General Manager, Assembly, says, 'Assembly Roxy is delighted to have been selected as one of Colin’s favourite theatres in Edinburgh. We loved his show ‘The Wake Up Call’ which featured in our new writers programme in 2019- an engaging piece about going to bed which featured wonderful poetry and an appropriately dreamy soundscape. We look forward to welcoming artists and audiences again just as soon as we are able.'
McGuire says, 'Assembly Roxy is a great theatre space in Edinburgh. Not least because they put on a three-day run of my first one-person show in 2019, The Wake-Up Call.'
Library Spotlight on...
Central Library
7-9 George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EG
Phone: 0131 242 8000
Edinburgh Central Library opened in 1890 and it has been lending books and helping with your information needs since then. As well as a children’s library which opened in 2014, they have a general lending library, beautiful reference library, an Art and Design collection, Music Library, and a collection which specialises in material about and from Edinburgh and Scotland.
Find out more about Central Library on social media:
Facebook: @edinburghcentrallibrary
Twitter: @edcentrallib
Instagram: edcentrallib
Read more in Central Library's blog here.
Central Library say, 'We’re so delighted that Colin has chosen Edinburgh Central as his favourite library. It’s an honour really that someone feels like that about our amazing library and I hope that choice is testimony to our support for poets and writers especially from Scotland.'
McGuire says, 'Central Library in Edinburgh, particularly the boardroom for running workshops. What a room. And the stench smell of urine in the basement toilets. Unforgettable.'
7-9 George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EG
Phone: 0131 242 8000
Edinburgh Central Library opened in 1890 and it has been lending books and helping with your information needs since then. As well as a children’s library which opened in 2014, they have a general lending library, beautiful reference library, an Art and Design collection, Music Library, and a collection which specialises in material about and from Edinburgh and Scotland.
Find out more about Central Library on social media:
Facebook: @edinburghcentrallibrary
Twitter: @edcentrallib
Instagram: edcentrallib
Read more in Central Library's blog here.
Central Library say, 'We’re so delighted that Colin has chosen Edinburgh Central as his favourite library. It’s an honour really that someone feels like that about our amazing library and I hope that choice is testimony to our support for poets and writers especially from Scotland.'
McGuire says, 'Central Library in Edinburgh, particularly the boardroom for running workshops. What a room. And the stench smell of urine in the basement toilets. Unforgettable.'