This event marks the launch of Liz MacWhirter’s beautiful long prose poem ‘Blue: A Lament for the Sea’, accompanied by an underwater film by digital artist and theologian Jonathan Kearney. The inspiration for ‘Blue’ comes from a medieval prophecy in Scottish Gaelic that foretells an apocalyptic sea flood, above which the sacred Isle of Iona shall arise; words that have wintered a thousand years unfold in the poem, haunting the Anthropocene. The 20-minute performance is a poetic vision of a journey through ecological grief, immersing the audience in a surreal, flooding landscape. After the poem, Liz will be joined in conversation by fellow poet Jane McKie, and the two will discuss environment and landscape, the impetus for taking renewed responsibility for the planet, and the contemplative theology of historical figures such as Julian of Norwich. This event is sponsored by the Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature fund.
Liz MacWhirter
Liz MacWhirter is a writer, speaker and theologian. Her debut novel, ‘Black Snow Falling’ (Scotland Street Press, 2018), gained a Carnegie Medal nomination, and her poetry is published by Lucy Writers, Yale GCRE, Theology in Scotland and 4M Netlabel. Liz has spoken at the Edinburgh International Book Festival; at the Universities of Yale, Oxford, and St Andrews; and is a Scottish Book Trust Live Literature Author. As a creative copywriter Liz won 20 awards, and her PhD, 'When Hope Takes Flight,' explores theopoetics and trauma (University of Glasgow). Liz spends as much time as possible in nature, hiking around her home in the Border hills.
Chair: Jane McKie
Jane teaches poetry and fiction at the University of Edinburgh, focussing on creative experimentation, artists’ books, speculative fiction, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. She has written several poetry collections and pamplets, the most recent of which are the prizewinning 'Mine' (Cinnamon Press, 2025), and 'Carnation Lily Lily Rose' (Blue Diode, 2023). Jane convenes the Edinburgh-based poetry collective The Shore Poets, who host monthly readings and music.
Venue information
In line with fire safety regulations attendees using a wheelchair must be able to self-transfer to an evac chair in order to safely evacuate the building.
This venue is fully accessible however, if you require disabled access, please email divinity.news@ed.ac.uk so that we can ensure we accommodate this.
