In these times of financial uncertainty for the arts, certain events transpire that make you realise what slender threads every festival hangs by. Such was the case for Push The Boat Out (PTBO) a few months ago, which was plunged into chaos after its regular venue Summerhall could no longer host after receiving a winding-up petition from HMRC. 

In the weeks after, organisers of the poetry weekender pulled the heroic feat of finding four new venues to house its celebration of spoken word (Dance Base, Dovecot Studios, Pleasance and Scottish Storytelling Centre, with more events happening online) and still maintain its full programme featuring 120 artists at more than 50 events. 

‘We are so thankful to each and every one of you for your patience, support, and kindness at a tricky time in our festival calendar,’ organisers wrote at the time. ‘It means so much to us that we can still share our festival weekend with you all.’

Like The Jazz Bar’s temporary closure and the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival’s scurry to relocate after the closure of Filmhouse in 2022, the threat of losing PTBO has made it feel all the more valuable this year. Its progressive approach to spoken word is (particularly after a year of political and social unease) a welcome balm, helping punters broaden their perspectives in an accessible and welcome space. 

This year’s edition (Friday 22–Sunday 24 November) is no different, using the theme ‘Disrupting The Narrative’ to foreground marginalised voices, and discuss topics like colonialism and mounting global devastation, as well as to celebrate radical literary voices from the past such as Bejamin Zephaniah and James Baldwin. 

Balancing this weighty subject matter is a sense of exuberance around spoken word and performance, conversation, music, readings and special guest appearances. To help you dig into the PTBO programme, here are a few highlights that we’re itching to go to.

Len Pennie and Lorde Fuhl 

Two emerging poets with exciting collections, Len Pennie (Poyums) and Lorde Fuhl (Odd Duck Chronicles) have been reinvigorating the Scottish poetry scene and taking a new generation along for the ride. They’ll perform from their respective collections and chat about their complicated relationships with social media. 

Dovecot Studios, Saturday 23 November.

Drag Poetry with Digital Diasporic Souls 

As it’s been pulled into the mainstream, it’d be easy to argue that the subversive edge of drag has been lost. This event (which features three immigrant poets and artists from China, Columbia and Cuba in their speculative drag personas) puts paid to that theory, in what has been described as ‘ghostly nocturne and a fictional panel where ancestors in displaced genders speak of their fantasia of being a good alien through chanting and performance lectures.’ 

Zoom, Saturday 23 November. 

AI and the (Un)translatability Of Poetry

Drawing on the collective unease around AI’s rapid (and largely unregulated) rise, Pip Thornton and Evan Morgan, the minds behind Machine Whispers, and poet and translator Rachel Rankin will discuss the emerging technology’s role in translating poetry. Brain food for anyone curious about the intersection between AI and art.

The Pleasance, Saturday 23 November. 

Hannah Lavery and Michael Pedersen – Makar-athon

Two makars for the price of one at the Makar-athon, in which former Edinburgh Makar Hannah Lavery hands over the baton to Michael Pederson. The pair will be joined by Jenny Niven to discuss their respective work as well as what the role of makar means to them. 

Dovecot Studios, Saturday 23 November. 

Double Bill: Activism, Poetry and James Baldwin

The pioneering James Baldwin looms large over contemporary literature, and here he’ll be celebrated by poets Kadija Sesay and Neo Gilson, who’ll discuss how they’ve used their own poetry as a tool for activism. Sesay has herself recently edited a new anthology on the writer, Encounters With James Baldwin, which examines how he spoke truth to power. This is a chance not only to learn more about a 20th century icon, but also the new generation of writers influenced by his work. 

Dovecot Studios, Sunday 24 November. 

Songwriters Circle

Exploring the blurred lines between songwriting and poetry composition, MC Hammersmith, ACE V!S!ON, and poet and singer-songwriter Christie Kandiwa will be joined by panel chair Arusa Qureshi to discuss the stories behind their songs and how they find inspiration for their lyrics. 

Dovecot Studios, Sunday 24 November. 

And All Great Art Is True: A Celebration Of Benjamin Zephaniah

In the wake of his death last year, Benjamin Zephaniah’s legacy is difficult to overstate. To honour his work, Raymond Antrobus, Salena Godden and Dean Atta will take to the stage, in collaboration with Qian Zephaniah and Kadija Sesay, to discuss his impact and the continued relevance of his poetry, music and activism. For fans of Zephaniah’s work, this is essential. For those encountering him for the first time, this is a chance to learn about an artist who helped shaped British culture for the better. 

Dance Base, Sunday 24 November. 

Push The Boat Out, various venues, Friday 22–Sunday 24 November; main picture: Ryan McGoverne,