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Expressing the Earth: Film screening
When
Sunday 6 September 2026
14:00 - 16:00
Where
The Royal Society of Edinburgh
22-26 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ
View directions on Google Maps
Format
In-person
Access
Hearing loop, Wheelchair access, Wheelchair accessible toilets
Age
Suitable for ages 16+
Cost
Free to book
About this event
Join us for a special two-part event featuring an award-winning documentary exploring geopoetics.
As part of this year’s Curious festival, we’re showing Expressing the Earth, an award-winning documentary from the Scottish Centre for Geopoetics.
Set against the backdrop of Scotland’s landscapes and seascapes, eight artists and scientists offer interpretations of what is known as geopoetics – a movement exploring interdisciplinary ways of understanding the Earth and humanity’s place within it.
The film also reflects on the life and work of leading Scottish poet and founder of the geopoetics community, Kenneth White, whom this film is dedicated to. The film covers Kenneth at various stages of his life, leading up to his death in 2023.
After the screening, there will be a Q&A with the film’s director Glenda Rome and producer Norman Bissell. This is a chance to ask questions and find out more about some of the film’s themes in depth.
There is also a workshop later in the afternoon exploring geopoetics in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens. Spaces for the workshop are limited so sign up here.
Useful information
- Film duration: 1hour 20 minutes
- Workshop location: Princes Street Gardens, approximately 200metres from the RSE.
Event type
Curious
Event
Contributors
Professor Emeritus Patrick Corbett
Co-Director Scottish Centre for Geopoetics, Prof Emeritus, Heriot-Watt UniversityProf Patrick Corbett is a retired Professor of Petroleum Geoengineering at Heriot-Watt University. He spent ten years in the oil industry working as a geologist in the UK, Netherlands and Indonesia. He has a PhD and DSc from Heriot-Watt University in Petroleum Engineering. He served as Head of the Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Head of the Energy Academy, Court Member and Watt Club Vice-President whilst at Heriot-Watt. He is a Fellow of the RSE. He has served on the Board of the Scottish Poetry Library and is a member of the School of Poets there. He is a Trustee of the Burngate Purbeck Stone Centre in Dorset. He is now a geopoet and Co-Director of the Scottish Centre for Geopoetics.
Norman Bissell
Honorary President, Scottish Centre for Geopoetics, Film ProducerNorman Bissell is an author and the recently retired Director of the Scottish Centre for Geopoetics. His acclaimed poetry collection Slate, Sea and Sky and novel Barnhill about George Orwell’s last years are published by Luath Press. His latest creative non-fiction book Living on an Island Expressing the Earth tells how he came from Glasgow to live on the Isle of Luing in Argyll and about his outstanding contribution to geopoetics over many years. He has considerable experience of providing talks and creative writing workshops at all levels and he successfully crowdfunded and raised sponsorship to make the award winning film Expressing the Earth. As its producer, he has taken part in Q&As and is arranging screenings of the film throughout the UK and internationally. Further information: www.normanbissell.com and www.geopoetics.org.uk.
Glenda Rome
Scottish Centre for Geopoetics, Film DirectorGlenda Rome is a Scottish filmmaker, originally from rural Dumfries and now living near Edinburgh. She moved to the city at eighteen to study photography and film, beginning a lifelong pursuit of how poetry and image shape the way we perceive the world. For over two decades, Glenda has worked as a freelance filmmaker, cinematographer, and workshop facilitator, creating films and projects that bridge art, activism, and education. She has also worked extensively with young people across the world, including disenfranchised youth and young offenders, helping them use film as a means of expression and empowerment. Her debut feature, Expressing the Earth, marks a return to her first love — the Scottish landscape — and explores how the ideas of poet-thinker Kenneth White resonate deeply with her own creative journey.
Contact us
If you have an event enquiry, please email us on public_engagement@theRSE.org.uk.Event testimonial
What is Curious?
Curious is the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) free festival that celebrates the research, ideas and knowledge shaping society today.
Each year, Curious brings a packed programme of free in-person and online events covering themes from the arts, humanities, policy, science and more. To date, we’ve welcomed over 10,000 attendees for talks, workshops, exhibitions and discussions where you can learn from and speak with Scotland’s leading thinkers. As part of the RSE’s mission to make knowledge useful and accessible for everyone, Curious is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them. No specialist knowledge is needed, just bring your curiosity.
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