Hannah Lavery tipped for role as Edinburgh's sixth Makar

Award-winning poet, playwright and performer Hannah Lavery has been nominated to become Edinburgh’s next poet laureate.

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A report to the council’s Culture and Communities Committee next weekrecommends Hannah as the next writer to be inaugurated as the sixth Edinburgh Makar.

If agreed, Hannah will take over the honorary role from Alan Spence later this year at a special reception hosted by the Lord Provost within the City Chambers.

'Aan absolute honour and privilege' - Hannah Lavery

Born and raised in the Capital, Hannah is a highly respected poet and playwright whose work has been published widely. Hannah’s poem, “Scotland, You’re no mine” was selected by Roseanne Watt as one of the Best Scottish Poems of 2019, her poetry film, Thirteen Fragments featured as part of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Curious Festival this year and it will feature as part of a longer work for Push the Boat Out Festival in Edinburgh, this October.

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Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener, said "Hannah Lavery is the sixth in an illustrious line of writers who have filled this important role in Edinburgh, the original City of Literature. Hannah is a fantastic choice, an accomplished and highly-regarded writer whose work inspires and generates important conversations, and I’m sure she’ll take the role in fascinating new directions.

She added: “I’m truly delighted that Hannah has been nominated as the Capital’s next Makar. She of course follows the brilliant Alan Spence, who has been an impressive advocate and ambassador for Edinburgh and for poetry, and whose interest in international dialogue and exchange has undoubtedly enhanced the city’s global reputation. It has been a pleasure to experience Alan’s perspective of the Capital and we would like to thank him for the dedication and insight that he has brought to the role.

Hannah said: “I am thrilled to be nominated and to be given the opportunity to build upon the work of Alan Spence and previous Makars. Edinburgh is in my bones, to be nominated as her Makar is an absolute honour and privilege.

The Edinburgh Makar is a civic post instituted in 2002 by Edinburgh City Council. The writer is selected and nominated by representatives of the Scottish Poetry Library, Scottish PEN, The Saltire Society, Edinburgh City of Literature Trust and the council.

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