StAnza is a poetry festival which takes place in March in the university town of St Andrews, Scotland.
[3] The Festival uses as a hub The Byre Theatre in St Andrews, and regularly programmes events in other venues around the town.
[5] In advance of the 2024 festival, a Moroccan poet who had been booked to perform was denied a visa by the Home Office.
[6] Soukaina Habiballah was due to appear as part of "Resilient Voices: Celebrating Middle Eastern Women in the Arts", but was initially blocked entry to the UK, on the grounds that she could be considered a flight risk.
[7] The Home Office revised their decision shortly before the festival, after coming under pressure from public figures.