A St Patrick's Night celebration on its opening night (17 March), heralded four days of over 80 events with 90 participants, with a healthy increase of over 10 per cent in attendances. Nearly half the ticketed events sold out and three of the most popular events, featuring Seamus Heaney, Dennis O'Driscoll, Linton Kwesi Johnson and John Akpata, were relayed live on a screen upstairs from the Byre's Auditorium, to accommodate the demand.

This 12th StAnza was also the last for Festival Director, Brian Johnstone, who will be handing over to the current Artistic Director, Eleanor Livingstone. ‘StAnza has gone from strength to strength since its first beginnings,’ he said. ‘With so many events selling out, and such an atmosphere of celebration, I’m proud of its success.’ You can catch up on the events via StAnza’s podcasts, photo blogs and photo gallery at www.stanzapoetry.org.