To say that people got a bit excited about the little paper babies would be a vast understatement. Although many of them remained hidden in their venues their story spread around the world and touched the hearts of many. And some of those people wanted to help spread the story even further...
If you visited the bookshop at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival you might have spotted this:
Polygon, a local Edinburgh publishing house, realised that there were people out there who spent more time in books than on the internet and therefore they might not have heard! After discussions with the Scottish Poetry Library and some anonymous communications with the sculptor (we still don't know who she is) it was decided that there should be a book. And so there is!
It's beautifully designed (and filled with lovely photographs... I wonder who by?) with text by Robyn Marsack, the SPL's Director. It also features a little piece from the sculptor and instructions on how to build your very own poetree. Squee! It's on sale at the Scottish Poetry Library, Filmhouse, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh Bookshop... well, it's going to be in as many of the venues who received a sculpture as possible, not to mention Waterstones and Blackwell's and who knows where else. (It's even on Amazon if you're that way inclined).
So that's exciting, yes? But wait, there's more!
Yes, the little beasts are ON TOUR!
It was mighty strange to see a bunch of press photographers suddenly taking an interest in the wee things, I can tell you. But also, wonderful to see them getting out and being seen by more people!
The full list of dates is as follows:
Aberdeen Central Library: Friday 17 August – Thursday 6 September
Dundee Central Library: Friday 7 September – Tuesday 25 September
Wigtown Book Festival: The Studio: Friday 28 September – Sunday 7 October
Mitchell Library, Glasgow: Tuesday 9 October – Saturday 27 October
Dunfermline Carnegie Library: Tuesday 30 October – Sunday 18 November
Scottish Poetry Library: Saturday 24 November – Saturday 8 December
There's a Facebook event with up to date information on where they are etc. There's no plans that I know of to get them all together again after this so if you get a chance, make sure you get along to see them.
And then, just as all of these exciting things were launching, a bunch of paper flowers started to appear around Charlotte Square...
A quick (anonymous) email confirmed that they were from the same sculptor, there were 50 of them and that they were, "sneaky ones for punters". A good thing, too; by the time I had arrived on site that day most of them had been snapped up, either by eagle-eyes members of staff or the public. Part of me was devastated that I couldn't 'collect' them all on camera but after speaking to someone who had found one and hearing how totally made up they were I relented. The only real frustration was that while the timing couldn't be coincidence - the same week that the book was released and the tour starting - none of the news outlets who reported on the flowers made mention of these things.
So although the last sculpture was 'gifted' almost ten months ago, the story is far from over. And now I have an easy Christmas present for everyone I know...
