Michael Pedersen
Appeared: 11 June
'Leading the way in new Scottish writing' (The Scotsman), Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning poet and animateur. He has published two successful chapbooks and an acclaimed debut collection Play With Me (Polygon, 2013). His second collection, Oyster (Polygon 2017), was illustrated by and performed as a live show with Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison. Pedersen was: a finalist in the 2018 Writer of the Year at The Herald Scottish Culture Awards; named a ‘Canongate Future 40’; awarded the John Mather Trust Rising Star of Literature Award 2014; and a 2015 Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship recipient. His poetry has attracted plaudits from the likes of Charlotte Church, Stephen Fry & Irvine Welsh. He also co-runs and co-founded Neu! Reekie! — a prize-winning arts collective, known for unfurling cutting-edge shows all over the globe and hosting take-overs for National Galleries, National Museums and major festivals.
Appeared: 11 June
'Leading the way in new Scottish writing' (The Scotsman), Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning poet and animateur. He has published two successful chapbooks and an acclaimed debut collection Play With Me (Polygon, 2013). His second collection, Oyster (Polygon 2017), was illustrated by and performed as a live show with Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison. Pedersen was: a finalist in the 2018 Writer of the Year at The Herald Scottish Culture Awards; named a ‘Canongate Future 40’; awarded the John Mather Trust Rising Star of Literature Award 2014; and a 2015 Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship recipient. His poetry has attracted plaudits from the likes of Charlotte Church, Stephen Fry & Irvine Welsh. He also co-runs and co-founded Neu! Reekie! — a prize-winning arts collective, known for unfurling cutting-edge shows all over the globe and hosting take-overs for National Galleries, National Museums and major festivals.
Links
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A Scottish Poetry Library podcast recorded in 2013. 'Throw a stone in Edinburgh and you’ll hit someone involved at some level. At the forefront of the scene is Neu! Reekie!, a night mixing poetry, film and music, and the brainchild of two poets, Kevin Williamson and Michael Pedersen. Pedersen’s debut collection Play With Me (Polygon) has just been published so it seemed a good time to ask him about the Edinburgh scene, and his poetry.'
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Independent Bookshop Spotlight on...
The Portobello Bookshop
46 Portobello High St,
Portobello, Edinburgh EH15 1DA
Website: https://www.theportobellobookshop.com/
The Portobello Bookshop is an independent bookshop based in Edinburgh's seaside community of Portobello. They opened their doors in July 2019 and had a wonderful first year, and are thrilled to be a part of their local high street. They're a general bookshop carrying a wide range of titles, and able to get hold of most books in print for customers. They're looking forward to one day opening their doors again, but in the meantime have launched an online shop, which they're developing all the time. They're thrilled to have been chosen by Michael as his bookshop of choice, and wish everyone the very best during this tough time.
How people can order:
People can order via their online shop.
They can also get in touch via their contact page and they'll do our best to source any books currently in print.
They're keeping this page up to date with their current news as much as they can.
The Portobello Bookshop says, 'We're really thrilled to have been chosen by Michael as his bookshop of choice. Not only did Michael grow up in Porty, but he's also been generous enough to host an event for his wonderful book Oyster at our shop, which was easily one of our most popular and well received events - we loved it. We look forward to the day when we can welcome him back once again for another event and reading, and wish both Michael and everyone working on Makar to Makar all the best with their fantastic online festival.'
Michael says, 'Oh because I grew up and went to high school in the area and we didn't have a book shop then and I would have loved it if we had. It's retrospective fawning from the younger me that could have passed by lunchtimes with PBS — provided they let you in with a half pizza supper. PBS is a new kid on the block, having only opened in 2019 and bookshops hatching are always to be championed. It's a really chic, light beam dappled experience ambling around the store and, afterwards, you can take your new purchases off for date by the ocean. I remember being in it when it was a tackle shop, I fetched myself hooks and lures from here, but I tell ye what: I’ve reeled in more prize catches at PBS than I ever did at the fishing (sorry, really I am).'
Five titles Michael has written or recommends:
Oyster by Michael Pedersen (Polygon, 2017)
Play with Me by Michael Pedersen(Polygon, 2013)
Plum Hollie McNish (Picador, 2017)
I Thought We'd Be Famous by Dominic Hoey (New Zealand's Dead Bird Books, 2019)
Lot by Bryan Washington (Atlantic, 2019)
The Portobello Bookshop has set up a special page through which you can order Michael's choices. Visit the page here.
46 Portobello High St,
Portobello, Edinburgh EH15 1DA
Website: https://www.theportobellobookshop.com/
The Portobello Bookshop is an independent bookshop based in Edinburgh's seaside community of Portobello. They opened their doors in July 2019 and had a wonderful first year, and are thrilled to be a part of their local high street. They're a general bookshop carrying a wide range of titles, and able to get hold of most books in print for customers. They're looking forward to one day opening their doors again, but in the meantime have launched an online shop, which they're developing all the time. They're thrilled to have been chosen by Michael as his bookshop of choice, and wish everyone the very best during this tough time.
How people can order:
People can order via their online shop.
They can also get in touch via their contact page and they'll do our best to source any books currently in print.
They're keeping this page up to date with their current news as much as they can.
The Portobello Bookshop says, 'We're really thrilled to have been chosen by Michael as his bookshop of choice. Not only did Michael grow up in Porty, but he's also been generous enough to host an event for his wonderful book Oyster at our shop, which was easily one of our most popular and well received events - we loved it. We look forward to the day when we can welcome him back once again for another event and reading, and wish both Michael and everyone working on Makar to Makar all the best with their fantastic online festival.'
Michael says, 'Oh because I grew up and went to high school in the area and we didn't have a book shop then and I would have loved it if we had. It's retrospective fawning from the younger me that could have passed by lunchtimes with PBS — provided they let you in with a half pizza supper. PBS is a new kid on the block, having only opened in 2019 and bookshops hatching are always to be championed. It's a really chic, light beam dappled experience ambling around the store and, afterwards, you can take your new purchases off for date by the ocean. I remember being in it when it was a tackle shop, I fetched myself hooks and lures from here, but I tell ye what: I’ve reeled in more prize catches at PBS than I ever did at the fishing (sorry, really I am).'
Five titles Michael has written or recommends:
Oyster by Michael Pedersen (Polygon, 2017)
Play with Me by Michael Pedersen(Polygon, 2013)
Plum Hollie McNish (Picador, 2017)
I Thought We'd Be Famous by Dominic Hoey (New Zealand's Dead Bird Books, 2019)
Lot by Bryan Washington (Atlantic, 2019)
The Portobello Bookshop has set up a special page through which you can order Michael's choices. Visit the page here.
Theatre Spotlight on...
Summerhall
1 Summerhall
Edinburgh EH9 1PL
Telephone: 0131 560 1580
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.summerhall.co.uk/
“One of the world’s great arts venues” (Mark Cousins, The Guardian), Summerhall is situated in the heart of Edinburgh, and offers diverse programmes of theatre, live music, visual arts and performance. Alongside its unique year-round events programme, Summerhall is also one of Edinburgh’s premier Fringe venues, winning multiple Fringe First and Total Theatre awards and bringing leading theatre-makers to the festival. The venue is home to a varied community of creative artists and businesses, and is a major cultural destination where audiences meet and mix, and where artists and performers are inspired to make and present their best work.
Michael says, 'Although a multi-purpose arts venue I've seen some tremendous theatre at Summerhall — in and outside Edina's August explosion (or lack thereof come 2020). Plus, the umpteen space options and shape-shifting nature of the components within them, means your experiences as an audience member hugely varies with each visit. It's great for one-human theatre performances and immersive and interactive shows, as well as the more traditional set-up. And, yes, hands in the air, Neu! Reekie!'s HQ is on site and has been since 2012 (us being one of their earliest tenants).
Rowan Campbell, General Manager, says, 'We are absolutely delighted that Michael has picked us as his favourite theatre! We’re so proud of our theatre programmes and the diverse variety of events that performers bring to Summerhall, and Michael & Kevin’s Neu! Reekie! is a prime example of that. A poetry-literature-animation collective, with a publishing house and a DIY record label, the project exemplifies exactly what we strive for through our ‘Open Minds, Open Doors’ ethos. And that’s without even mentioning his poetry! In turns heartbreaking and hilarious, Michael is an incredibly talented and hardworking person, and absolutely someone to keep an eye out for.'
If you would like to support Summerhall’s continued programme of music, theatre, film screenings and more, and help our staff who may be struggling financially during this time, please visit here.
1 Summerhall
Edinburgh EH9 1PL
Telephone: 0131 560 1580
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.summerhall.co.uk/
“One of the world’s great arts venues” (Mark Cousins, The Guardian), Summerhall is situated in the heart of Edinburgh, and offers diverse programmes of theatre, live music, visual arts and performance. Alongside its unique year-round events programme, Summerhall is also one of Edinburgh’s premier Fringe venues, winning multiple Fringe First and Total Theatre awards and bringing leading theatre-makers to the festival. The venue is home to a varied community of creative artists and businesses, and is a major cultural destination where audiences meet and mix, and where artists and performers are inspired to make and present their best work.
Michael says, 'Although a multi-purpose arts venue I've seen some tremendous theatre at Summerhall — in and outside Edina's August explosion (or lack thereof come 2020). Plus, the umpteen space options and shape-shifting nature of the components within them, means your experiences as an audience member hugely varies with each visit. It's great for one-human theatre performances and immersive and interactive shows, as well as the more traditional set-up. And, yes, hands in the air, Neu! Reekie!'s HQ is on site and has been since 2012 (us being one of their earliest tenants).
Rowan Campbell, General Manager, says, 'We are absolutely delighted that Michael has picked us as his favourite theatre! We’re so proud of our theatre programmes and the diverse variety of events that performers bring to Summerhall, and Michael & Kevin’s Neu! Reekie! is a prime example of that. A poetry-literature-animation collective, with a publishing house and a DIY record label, the project exemplifies exactly what we strive for through our ‘Open Minds, Open Doors’ ethos. And that’s without even mentioning his poetry! In turns heartbreaking and hilarious, Michael is an incredibly talented and hardworking person, and absolutely someone to keep an eye out for.'
If you would like to support Summerhall’s continued programme of music, theatre, film screenings and more, and help our staff who may be struggling financially during this time, please visit here.
Library Spotlight on...
Piershill Library
30 Piersfield Terrace, Edinburgh, EH8 7BQ
30 Piersfield Terrace, Edinburgh, EH8 7BQ
- Telephone: 0131 529 5685
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libraries
- Michael says, 'Although I work in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library, love the Scottish Poetry Library, and had my earliest library memory in Leith’s McDonald Road Library, I’m opting for none of them (whilst ostensibly and shamelessly trying to name-check them aw). I’m going to say Piershill Library, one I’ve not been in for many years. Yet it’s the first time I got caught up in the excitement of a new library opening in an area, and seeing the knock-on impact it had for the local community in terms of new readers, space to learn and safe refuge. For me, it’s arrival helped sculpt and define the role and value of libraries to society.'