The new director of the Scottish Poetry Library has been announced as Asif Khan.
Mr Khan, who grew up in Dundee, will take up his position in June 2016.
To date Mr Khan’s professional career has been spent in Bristol and London in "audience engagement, business development and marketing roles covering the full breadth of the arts, from public libraries and literature to visual art and performing arts."
He worked on the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade commemorative programme in 2007, and in 2014 was invited by the Government of Jamaica to produce a showcase event with their new Poet Laureate, Mervyn Morris.
He is a trustee of The Poetry Can and sits on the board of the Bristol Poetry Institute.
Asif Khan said: "It’s a huge honour to follow Robyn Marsack, and her predecessor Tessa Ransford, as the Director of the Scottish Poetry Library.
"Scottish culture, politics and sport shaped my formative years.
"I grew up in Dundee and took my degree at the University of Stirling.
"I have produced poetry and literature events that have spoken to themes of climate change, belonging, translation and diaspora.
"From working with many talented poets and appreciative audiences, I believe that the best poetry and spoken word can transform lives and touch what Martin Luther King described as our ‘soul force’ - speaking directly to our common humanity."
Ian Wall, chair of the board of the Scottish Poetry Library, said: "Asif’s knowledge and experience - Scottish, British and international - will bring a fresh perspective to the work of the Scottish Poetry Library, enabling us to extend and deepen the reach of our work in Scotland and well beyond its borders."
Asif Khan’s professional career has been spent in Bristol and London in audience engagement, business development and marketing roles covering the full breadth of the arts, from public libraries and literature to visual and performing arts. He was the Engagement Manager for Bristol Libraries 2009-14, with a particular interest in widening participation and social inclusion. As well as producing the Yardstick literature festival in partnership with Bath Libraries, supported by the Royal African Society and Commonwealth Writers, he led the Jamaica Rising literature initiative with the Government of Jamaica, University of Bristol and Bristol City Council – and as a result, was invited by the Government of Jamaica to produce a showcase event with their new Poet Laureate, Mervyn Morris. In 2015 he produced the poetry component of Bristol’s annual Festival of Nature. In a voluntary capacity, he is a trustee of The Poetry Can and sits on the board of Bristol Poetry Institute.
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