‘Ten Years After (Iraq – A Beach Walk)’ by George Gunn

TEN YEARS AFTER (Iraq – A Beach Walk) An Easterly blows in from the Baltic a Russian wind on a Continue reading →

Performing Tam o’ Shanter

by Kevin Williamson The lure and challenge of performing Tam o’ Shanter was far too enticing to  ignore. It’s the Continue reading →

Something For The Weekend? Our Fuzzy Friday Top 5

1. GO WILD IN THE COUNTRY (FORTINGALL) Strictly speaking our Fuzzy Friday feature is about events in Scotland that Bella Continue reading →

“Scotland Writers” – a new poem by Matthew Fitt

Scotland Writers 1st December 2012, Glesga Scots wha hae wi Wilson skited, Scots wham Weir got aw excited, Oan a Continue reading →

Culture is a not an industry. Creative Scotland n’est pas une pipe.

by Kevin Williamson “One-dimensional thought is systematically promoted by the makers of politics and their purveyors of mass information. Their Continue reading →

A Sonnet For Gaza by Kevin Williamson

A SONNET FOR GAZA Shalom.  This is not a time for clandestine poets to hurl shoes over Jericho’s fortified walls. Continue reading →

Madeleine

  Listen up Uncle Sam’s Auntie’s back in town; Get on message (you can forget Plan B) Wake up and Continue reading →

Poem for Michael Marra

We very rarely publish poetry on Bella but are happy to make an exception for this tribute to Michael Marra Continue reading →

Neu! Reekie! #23

    Aside from Bella Caledonia an arts project I’m heavily involved with is Neu! Reekie!  Neu! Reekie! is a Continue reading →

Decontaminating The Union: Post-Industrial Landscapes And The British Psyche

This is an extract from the Wreford Watson Lecture given by Will Self at the University of Edinburgh this week/ Continue reading →

Vote Britain – Live at the Gardens

Any movement that has poetry at it’s heart has real prospects … Alan Bissett performing ‘Vote Britain’ live at Rally Continue reading →

What Place for Poetry in Politics? (+ ‘In Memory Of Doctor Angus Calder’ a new poem by George Gunn)

This Saturday afternoon, as part of The Festival of Politics,  Aonghas MacNeicail, Janet Paisley and regular Bella columnist George Gunn Continue reading →

TRANSLATING THE BRITISH, 2012 by Carol Ann Duffy

There’s a split decision at Bella Towers over UK Laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s newly published Olympics poem.  Kevin thinks it Continue reading →

Let the Summerhall revolution begin!

by Kevin Williamson Tonight’s the night. Its the grand opening of the new Summerhall arts complex‘s festival programme, in conjunction Continue reading →

George Gunn – In Atomic City

Caithness poet – and Bella Caledonia columnist – George Gunn is making a rare appearance in Edinburgh this Sunday 24th Continue reading →

A short dialogue concerning ‘Vote Britain’ – a poem by Alan Bissett

From: Anne Morrison Sent: 31 May 2012 16:38 To: Alan Bissett Subject: Re: Vote Britain Hi Alan Your poem ‘Vote Britain’ has been doing Continue reading →

Poetry On Trial: 2. “Poetry and Tribalism” by Jon Stone

In the second of our ‘Poetry on trial’ essays – culled from the excellent Cut Out and Keep blog (now Continue reading →

Poetry On Trial: 1. “What are poets for?” by George Gunn

This thoughtful provocative essay by poet George Gunn asks some timely questions on the whys and wherefores of modern poetry, Continue reading →

‘The Winter Coast’ by George Gunn

We don’t usually publish poetry on Bella but occasionally something comes into our hands which we can’t not publish.  The Continue reading →

Soundherd

This from Social Media Week Glasgow Crowdsourced Scottish Poetry Audiobook:

Kevin Williamson on our radical seditious patriotic Bard

It takes a brave or foolish man to try and step into Robert Burns’s Scotland-size shoes but Bella Caledonia’s Kevin Continue reading →

Not Burns

By Dougie Strang Last month the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum was officially opened by the First Minister and by Liz Continue reading →

Notes From The Gutter, Music To My Ears

by Kevin Williamson – And yet I feel this muckle thistle’s staun’in’ Atween me and the mune as pairt o’ Continue reading →

O Donald Trump, Woe Donald Trump

Donald Trump is an American billionaire born of an exiled Hebridean mother. He plans to build “the world’s greatest golf Continue reading →

The Republic of Hope

To conclude (but not close) our week long celebration of women writers  - we’re delighted to publish a handful of poems Continue reading →

In Memoriam Edwin Morgan (1920-2010)

By Robert Alan Jamieson In a life of 90 years, a degree of transformation is to be expected, as times Continue reading →

So now begin

Open the doors! Light of the day, shine in; light of the mind, shine out! We have a building which Continue reading →