Poems
Welcome to my poetry page: some are in English, some in Scots.
Sometimes we need to listen to our bodies. I found that the simple act of walking, by myself, helped me process a lot of difficult experiences. On a Residency funded by the UNESCO City of Literature programme & AIR Litteratur in Sweden, I went walking and wrote. These poems from the mountains and lakes around Bengtsfors are combined with the poems I've written on my walks by the Water of Leith in the Colinton Dell area of Edinburgh, and a series of shorter poems exploring the connection between inner reconnection with the self and outward steps, in my pamphlet 'Wander', published by Blue Diode Press (2025).
Hermony / Seein Distance
The distance atween
twa frequencies o soond
is whit perfects thaim,
heard thegither.
Yer stanes cam awa
fae their cauf-grund tae shape
an airt whance ye micht
leuk back on it.
Nae city's sic a city as it thinks,
no sae faur fae the land lain aneath it.
Glesgae lilts, shairp twaloors, tae its redd -
stanes tae their rocks, glass tae its sandy bed -
I cam miles awa fae ye, juist tae fare
the seein distance whilk isnae there.
Published in Look Up Glasgow, Freight Books (2013).
Reading of 'Forward Deck', about the wish to evade death / protect our bodies from ageing, and gene technology. Winner of the Genomics Forum Poetry Prize.
Poetry Readings and Commissions
I enjoy taking part in poetry readings, in person and at online events. All of my longer poems touch on issues relating to ecology, climate change, finance, social history, and our relationship with the natural world. I also write about other current social issues, and other areas of science such as genetics. Other poems are concerned with myths, and use elements from Scottish folklore. I am also happy to take commissions for work in an area that interests me. Please get in touch via the contact form.
I am open to working on commissions (depending on the subject matter).
Tandem Poetry Translation:
In Ukraine, I took part in a residency which involved tandem translation. I partnered with Ukrainian poet Halyna Kruk. We used bridge translations, and together spent time translating one another's work into our own language. This residency was sponsored by the British Council.
Film Screenings:
'Byland': screened at various locations as part of the Year of Natural Scotland
'Salt': screened in Glasgow
Magazines:
Some of my poems have been published in:
Gutter; Product; The Istanbul Review, and Poetry Scotland
Books:
'Wander' published by Blue Diode Press
Some of my poems have appeared in anthologies such as:
Look Up Glasgow; Umbrellas of Edinburgh; Neu!Reekie!Untitled
Awards:
The Genomics Forum Poetry Competition (winner)
The Montreal International Poetry Prize (long-listed)
Readings:
Edinburgh - International Book Festival, Fruitmarket Gallery, Scottish Poetry Library; Prague - The Alchemy Readings; Sharjah - International Book Fair; Lviv - International Book Forum; Bishkek - Open Central Asia Book Forum & Literature Festival; Belgrade - International Book Fair; Suzhou - Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
- and online.
