dumbfoundry

A poet has been given a £30,000 grant to wax lyrical about the leading industrialised nations

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH was inspired by daffodils and Robert Burns by the humble haggis. Now a Scottish poet is to take this summer’s G8 summit as his unlikely muse.

Robin Bell, 60, whose cottage in the small Perthshire town of Auchterarder overlooks the grounds of Gleneagles Hotel, where the world’s most powerful leaders will meet in July, has been awarded £30,000 to produce a collection of poems based on his observations of the international event.

Global poverty, the problems of Africa and climate change may not be the “universal themes” associated with poetry, but Mr Bell believes that, with the world gathered on his doorstep, he is ideally placed not only to capture the mood and debate of the G8 conference but also to examine how the world views Scotland — or, to quote Burns: “To see oorsels as ithers see us.”

Details of Proposed Project [PDF]:
Robin proposes to produce a book of poems and a feature length piece suitable for broadcast based on his observations of the G8 conference, examining Scotland’s place in today’s global culture. Robin will be ideally placed to capture the feeling of the G8 conference as it will all be happening next door to his rural Perthshire cottage. Robin says: ‘this is a once in a lifetime chance to look simultaneously at eight world leaders and their entourages assembled in Scotland to discuss a global agenda. I am lucky to have a unique opportunity to observe local, national and international viewpoints in depth and I hope to produce a new sequence of poems, looking forward at Scotland’s options in today’s global culture. Especially, I will use the G8 conference to “see oorsels as ithers see us”’.

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