Tramlines is a new partnership between Edinburgh City of Literature and Edinburgh Trams which will see poems from both well known poets and new voices displayed on trams across the fleet. It comes about following the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between Edinburgh City of Literature and City of Edinburgh Council.
The Memorandum of Understanding reaffirms the relationship between the two organisations, recommits to the UNESCO designation and renews the shared vision of an Edinburgh where books and storytelling are an integral part of city life.
Tramlines will see poetry on the move across Edinburgh, with work from twenty outstanding artists poets installed across the trams. It will bring literature into the every day lives of the people of Edinburgh with poets such as Robert Burns, Dorothy Lawrenson and Wilfred Owen featured. It will also include Tramlines by Stephen Deazley, the winning poem from the inaugural Tramlines poetry competition.
Edinburgh City of Literature Director, Harriet MacMillan, said: “We are delighted to formalise our longstanding relationship with the City of Edinburgh Council through this Memorandum of Understanding. It reflects our shared ambition to embed literature and storytelling across the life of the city and to ensure that Edinburgh continues to lead internationally as a UNESCO City of Literature.
“The launch of Tramlines is a wonderful example of that ambition in action, bringing poetry directly to residents and visitors as they travel through the city. We’re thrilled to see the insightful, inspiring and moving words of some of Edinburgh’s outstanding poets appearing across the tram network, and we hope they encourage moments of reflection, connection and discovery for everyone who reads them.
“We hope that this will be the first of many iterations of Tramlines. We have so many wonderful Edinburgh poets to celebrate.”