A number of our members and other Scottish poets have written poems in response to the current conflict, and have kindly given permission for them to be shared here. Scottish PEN invites further poetic and literary responses to the poems.

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe comes to a close for another year, Scottish PEN finds itself in a position for a second year running where it must express regret regarding a continuing situation in Scotland and beyond.

Scottish PEN is shocked and appalled at the level of violence used by Police Scotland against peaceful activists on Wednesday 3rd July 2024.

At the request of Scottish PEN member Heather Kiernan, working with the Hands Up Project, Scottish PEN organised a call-out to Scottish poets to respond to ‘Moon Tell Me Truth’, illustrated poems by children in Gaza exhibited at the Scottish Poetry Library during June.

Scottish PEN is deeply concerned about reported police aggression towards peaceful protesters at Thales Arms Factory, Govan, on Wednesday 15 May 2024. The protest peacefully and successfully closed down Thales Arms Factory that day in an effort to draw attention to and disrupt the company’s production of components for Israeli military drones, used in Israel’s genocide in Palestine.