A new Memorandum of Understanding between Edinburgh City of Literature and the City of Edinburgh Council is being celebrated with the launch of Tramlines, a new partnership with Edinburgh Trams.
The Memorandum of Understanding reaffirms our relationship with the Council, recommits to our UNESCO designation and renews our shared vision of an Edinburgh where books and storytelling are an integral part of city life.
It comes in the wake of our recently published Impact Study; we are so grateful to the Council for responding so positively to our research and for committing to a city of literature for the future.
Tramlines is a tangible testament to the values of the MOU. The project will see poetry on the move across Edinburgh, with work from twenty outstanding poets installed across the fleet. Featuring work from established, emerging and historic poets, it will bring literature into the every day lives of the people of Edinburgh.
The Rt Hon Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge, commented:
“Edinburgh’s reputation as a City of Literature has been built over generations by writers, readers, publishers, libraries, festivals and communities across the city.
This partnership is about building on that remarkable legacy and creating the conditions for our literary life to continue to flourish.
Projects like Tramlines show how literature can be part of everyday life, reaching people in unexpected places and reminding us that stories belong to all of us.”
The first edition of the project features poems from:
- Robert Burns
- Jess Brough
- Vicki Feaver
- Valerie Gillies
- Stephanie Green
- Bridget Khursheed
- Hannah Lavery
- Dorothy Lawrenson
- Norman MacCaig
- Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir
- Theresa Muñoz
- Carolina Oliphant
- Wilfred Owen
- Jeda Pearl
- Robin Robertson
- Zain Rishi
- Medha Singh
The project also includes Timelines by Stephen Deazley, the winning poem from the inaugural Tramlines Poetry Competition.
Our 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.”
Edinburgh City of Literature would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Trams for their support. They would also like to thank the generous benefactors who enabled this project, as well as the poets for their wonderful work.
September 24, 2026.
