Former Scottish Makar, poet and author, Jackie Kay, CBE, is among the first names announced for this year’s Push the Boat Out festival in Edinburgh.
The capital’s international poetry festival has revealed the first of the programme of events for this year, with performances also featuring Henry Normal, Joelle Taylor, Luke Wright and Anthony Joseph.
The main festival will take place at The Pleasance from 12 to 15 November, with the full programme due to be announced on 1 October.
Ahead of the festival, Kay will appear at an intimate preview event aboard luxury floating hotel Fingal in Leith on 31 October.
Image credit: Neil Hanna
The award-winning poet will give readings and celebrate the publication of her new Selected Poems, which brings together work from across three decades.
Festival Nights will also include a cabaret featuring poets EmmaClaire Brightlynn and Nick Makoha alongside special guests.
Performance poet Luke Wright will present material spanning two decades of his career, including work from Later Life Letter, which explores adoption and identity, as well as material from his forthcoming 2027 live show.
Writer, poet and television producer Henry Normal, who co-created programmes including The Mrs Merton Show and The Royle Family, will perform an hour of poetry, stories and songs to mark the publication of his fourth collected poetry anthology.
Poet and playwright Joelle Taylor will meanwhile bring the Scottish premiere of a staged reading of Maryville to Edinburgh.
The work explores 50 years of lesbian counterculture through the lives of four butch lesbians and follows Taylor’s T.S. Eliot Prize-winning collection C+nto & Othered Poems.
The performance will be directed by writer and director Neil Bartlett, with visuals by artist and filmmaker Sweatmother.
Saturday night will see writer and musician Anthony Joseph perform with his band, combining spoken word with jazz, Afrobeat, funk and Caribbean influences.
Scottish artist Bee Asha, whose work blends rap, poetry and song, will support.
The festival will close on November 15 with a newly commissioned collaboration between musician Aurora Engine and poets JL Williams, Dean Atta and Jenni Fagan.
Festival director Emma Collins said: “We’re delighted to share this first glimpse of what’s to come for Push the Boat Out 2026.
“The preview event and the Festival Night performances give an early taste of the extraordinary range of voices, ideas and live experiences that shape this year’s festival.”
Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing at Creative Scotland, said: “Push the Boat Out shows us everything that poetry can be, and how it interacts with language and identity while merging with other artforms.
“Initial programme details promise vibrant and varied entertainment to delight audiences, whilst providing a vital platform for artists and ideas.”
The festival has also launched a residency with Little Sparta and the estate of Ian Hamilton Finlay.
Poet Iain Morrison and visual artist Corin Sworn have created a collaborative performance inspired by Finlay’s garden and work.
Their piece, pool burn lock and sluice, will be performed at Little Sparta on September 27 before a further appearance at Push the Boat Out in November.
Tickets for the newly announced preview and Festival Nights events go on sale at 10am on Thursday, September 3.
