17 – 20 March 2011, FCA&C @ St Andrews Town Hall foyer, as part of StAnza Poetry Festival 2011, and continuing from 21-31 March after StAnza; Queen’s Gardens, St Andrews, KY16 9TA, tel 01334 474610; open daily during StAnza, 10am-5pm, thereafter weekdays 10am-5pm

Iranian-born painter and printmaker Jila Peacock created a hand-made artist’s book in an edition of 50 in 2004 at the Glasgow Print Studio from Persian calligraphic shape poems using words from Hafez of Shiraz, the metaphysical poet of Iran who was an inspiration for Goethe and much admired by poets such as Tennyson and Byron. The artist’s own English translations are accompanied by calligraphic shape poems from Persian script, which are designed as animals mentioned in each poem to symbolise metaphysical truths. Also playing for the duration of the exhibition is the animated film of the works, ‘The Tongue of the Hidden’, made with director David Alexander Anderson for Channel 4 in 2007. Click here if you’d like to see/hear a short clip from the film.

Exhibition presented by FCA&C in partnership with the StAnza Poetry Festival.

Jila Peacock will be giving a reading during the festival on Sat 19 March 2011, 3.45-4.30pm, St Mary’s Hall, St Mary’s Quad, South Street. Tickets are £5 /£3 and are available from the Byre Theatre, St Andrews, tel 01334 475000.

For full details about StAnza, please visit their website.

Shortly after the exhibition closes on 31 March, a display of work by primary 5 of Lawhead Primary School, St Andrews, will go on show from 5 – 28 April in its place. The work has been made in response to a visit they made to Jila’s exhibition in the Town Hall, followed by a printmaking workshop led by Fife artist Lisa Gribbon. As before, the Town Hall will be open weekdays 10am-5pm. For pics of primary 5 at work, please go to FCA&C’s blog.