Anita Govan

Anita Govan is a neurodivergent spoken word poet, producer and teaching artist based in Edinburgh. She received an Individual Artists awarded from Creative Scotland to create a Poetry Choir and also appointed Edinburgh Fringe Community Artist by the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025.

 

Across her almost 30-year creative practice and career, Anita has appeared on TV and radio with her work featured by STV, BBC Radio Scotland, and BBC Radio 7. She was Stirling Makar from 2012 to 2015, Poet-in-Residence for UNESCO in 2023, and Poet-in-Residence at ITAC3 in 2016. Building a reputation as a Conference Poet for 3rd sector and businesses. Creating a unique record of the event. where she writes and shares participants 'found' poem in performance.

 

Anita has performed her poetry around the world at festivals including the Amnesty International Refugee Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Glastonbury, Wigtown Book Festival, and StAnza. She has performed at the Nuyorican in New York, USA, London Soho Theatre in London, UK, and Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary, Canada.

 

Anita is also a teaching artist who sees poetry as an important and powerful tool for people of all ages and backgrounds to find their voice and develop their own creative practice. She has taught across Scotland and developed found poems with communities and clients at business conferences, seminars, and community events. Anita is currently listed on the Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature List offering services in facilitation for workshops and courses, and poetry commissions at live events. 

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You can reach out to Anita to work together using the form on her contact page.