Viewpoint Voices at Gutchers Isle, Colvend

Another one!  These voices are local young people studying for Advanced Higher English.

Many Viewpoint Voices 2012

My project with Dumfries and Galloway National Scenic Areas has just finished, and here are one or two of the little videos we've made of some of the different groups.

Over a year, we invited groups of people with a strong local connection to a National Scenic Areas Viewpoint (so that's all along the shore of the Solway between Caerlaverock in the east to Gatehouse in the west) to walk and write about the place.

Groups from many different backgrounds and of many different ages came out on this staggeringly beautiful coast (in all weathers) - and created some extraordinary work.  Have a listen.

In which it's summer in December

Back when the leaves were just springing open I was asked by poet Sarah Hymas if I'd take part in a project.  Sarah imagined each of the 24 hours of the summer solstice allocated to a poet, who would then, in real time, go outside to the place of their choice - and write a poem for that one hour.

In no time, I'd been given a choice of hours.  I'm a morning person so I opted for 6am, reckoning also (and correctly) that I'd still have time afterwards to chivvy my teenage sons from their beds so they didn't miss the school bus.

I'd set the alarm, but didn't need it.  Midsummer morning was damp, cool and grey in Dumfries and Galloway.  I picked up pencil and notebook (and coat).

Birdsong.  The quiet pond.  Hills.

I wandered into the wood, and then on impulse climbed into the copper beech tree.  Perched, and scribbling on slightly dampening paper, I spent a slow hour that was filled with happenings.  And I thought of the poet who'd just done 5am.  And the poet who would take over from me at 7am.

Now there's a book.  For a mere £4.50 (including p&p) you can brighten up this year's shortest day with 24 poems  written on the longest one.  Contact Sarah here or on Facebook and she'll see you alright.

Poetry in the north by candlelight

The Dark Farms by candlelight

I'm gathering myself to travel up through sodden Britain for the Dumfries launch of 'The Dark Farms', which will take place by candlelight on Wednesday 28 November, at 7.30pm in the Gracefield Arts Centre Cafe, all organised by the wonderful Roncadora Press.

I've never read by candlelight before.  Might need to remember the reading glasses.

The Crow House is FREE this Saturday

Front cover of The Crow House

Do help yourself to a FREE copy of The Crow House this Saturday 24 November.  You can download it for nothing to your Kindle/mobile devices/humble PC by clicking here.

Reviews appeal!  Earn my undying gratitude by posting a review on Amazon!  I gather that's what's needed to help The Crow House er, fly. 

"No decent people in this town would have you", he reminds her.  His voice grates on her ears.  "As you bear the Mark, so is your nature fixed." He sighed.  "Yet in Christian charity I took you in, and so must bear this cross with patience.  Stand by the door."  He bends again over his work.  

Time passes.  She stands by the door.  She is biting her lip, gnawing at it, her hands tight clasped behind her back, fingers interlaced.  What he says is true.  She bears the Mark.  She is evil.

How I published the 'The Crow House' for Halloween

'The Crow House' by Jean Atkin

As it's a mystery/horror novel for 9 to 12 year olds Halloween seemed a good moment to unleash it on the world.

Time travel was never this inconvenient - or terrifying.  Holly and Callum have to cope with a dangerous old book, a witch (perhaps) and worst of all, the cold-eyed Hermetic Doctor of Wigtown: Jared Sliddery, inhabitant of The Crow House.

The website is live too, and the Facebook Page, which has been picking up lots of Likes from kind people.  And you can download it to your Kindle, your mobile devices or your PC by clicking here.

Reviews very much appreciated!  I really would love to hear from readers.

... and do you know, this e-book was published by a person without any broadband in her house?  Is this a record? Thank God for public libraries.   (It's been two months +.  We've abandoned BT for the Phone Coop, who are friendly and remember to update you, but even they still have to deal with Open Reach, known to our weary household now as 'Totally Out of Reach')...

New desk, new networks, new book

After a mighty slice of luck which enabled us to buck the house sales trend, three generations of us plus a hundred-and-something boxes of books have come to rest in a tall Victorian house in Ludlow, Shropshire.  I have a whole box room to work from!  And a sunny pergola to have coffee in.

I'm busy making contact with new networks here, in particular just now with immensely active Writing West Midlands.  I shall be off to their Writers Toolkit day next month.  The programme looks great and it's a chance to meet people.

Time travel was never this inconvenient - or terrifying.

And while I write up some Dumfries and Galloway projects, and scamper up and down country to complete work there, I'm also gearing up to publish my new novel for 9-13s.  The Crow House is a horror mystery set in Wigtown, Scotland's Georgian book town by the sea.   The Crow House website will be launched shortly, followed by the Kindle edition.

Launch of 'The Dark Farms' at Wigtown Book Festival

'The Dark Farms', my new pamphlet from Roncadora Press, will be launched at Wigtown Book Festival on Wednesday 3 October.  You'll find me, a tad keyed up, in the Main Hall in the County Buildings at 1.30pm.  Please book via the Book Festival website - click here.

The Dark Farms focuses on the Galloway Forest Park, its depopulated glens, shrinking agriculture and extraordinarily dark skies.  I worked on The Dark Farms for eight months during 2011, walking the Forest, talking to residents and reading old books and maps.  I also spent several happy hours dodging that summer's steady rain in Newton Stewart Museum, where I encountered the Bull Mask, and the Necklace of Horse's Teeth.

I was lucky enough then to receive an award from Arts Trust Scotland for a mentored week at Cove Park.  What emerged is poetry about remote places; the ghosts of sheep; the vast night skies; the generations of paths made by human feet which have been obliterated by 20th century pine forests.

Palnackie Voices with Stewartry U3A

Outside, it's tipping down.  In here, I'm enjoying this clip which records two sessions I did with the Stewartry U3A poetry group earlier this summer. The group's poetry was recorded, and then expertly edited by Ken Smyth. It also draws for images on work done by Hugh Bryden, and all was organised and funded via National Scenic Areas Dumfries and Galloway.  Thank you the Scottish Book Trust too.

The Dark Skies at Wigtown Book Festival

Two exciting pieces of news: my new poetry pamphlet 'The Dark Farms' (Roncadora Press) will be launched at Wigtown Book Festival at my reading there on Wednesday 3 October, as part of the Dark Skies theme for this year's Festival.

Lunkie Hole, Silver Flowe

                                                  The Night Horses

                                                  are stalled between sleep and dreaming.
                                                  In the steading they lower their massive heads
                                                  to the earth’s nod. In darkness
                                                  white-faced Clydesdales lip at nothing.



And secondly, I met with artists Jo Hodges and Robbie Coleman, who have been appointed artists in residence for the Galloway Dark Skies Park and Galloway and South Ayrshire Biosphere.

Robbie and Jo are planning a variety of curious and interactive ways to introduce the Dark Skies Park to festival-goers, and we're developing a collaboration which looks really exciting.  Find out more here.

I spent eight months of 2011 walking in the Forest, exploring ruins, talking to residents, poring over old maps and books and (while dodging some of last summer's rain) delving in Newton Stewart Museum.  I became completely absorbed by this remote, roadless place where hill farming is shrinking back off the high ground, and farms are abandoned, in some cases disappearing completely, except for a placename on a map, under the commercial forest plantings that have been put in during the second half of the 20th century.

The nights are very black, and very starry.

Doors Open Days 2012 - a time of

I'm enjoying being back working on Dumfries & Galloway Doors Open Days for 2012.  It's great to get back in touch with the Doors Open Days community here, who are such a friendly and positive group of people, many of them volunteers and all of them fired with enthusiasm for this warm-hearted national event.

This year the theme for the region is CHANGE.  Well, there's been a lot of it.  So we're recruiting sites which will reflect all kinds of Change - historical, scientific, domestic, professional and more.

You'll be able to go up lighthouses and into costume rooms, get down with archaeologists and out with the Green Energy Network... watch the Dumfries & Galloway Doors Open Days Facebook Page for frequent updates.

Making Palnackie poetry with the U3A

I had my second meeting yesterday with the lively U3A group who've been working on cinquains for the National Scenic Areas Viewpoint Voices Project.  This time we met in Castle Douglas Community Centre, which was less spectacular than the Millenium Viewpoint at Palnackie (but nice and close to a kettle).  As it turns out, the U3A group were particularly well organised when it came to biscuits, with a commendable prediliction for Millionaire's Shortbread, which I must say I noticed the first time we met...

Angela and Marlin discuss their work among the teacups

I was very impressed with the huge amount of work that the group had produced since our first meeting.  We did lots of reading out, and it became clear that the quality of much of the writing was really exciting.  The work echoed the natural beauty of Palnackie, but explored the fragility of its ecology and nuances of its history too.

Don reads out a cinquain and Anna Johnson (NSA Officer) takes a photo

Ken Smyth recorded the Viewpoint Voices for us

Clare Rodgers, from Scottish Book Trust, who have helped to fund these sessions, came with us on our initial visit to Palnackie's beautiful viewpoint, and emailed me her cinquain, so we read it out and recorded it too.  I do like her trees. 

Here it is:

Joy shouts
from the gorse bush
the trees are fresh clean sheets
and the river waits patiently
for life.

Mind you, I had plenty of 'wish I'd written that' moments with this talented group.

Doors Open Days 2012

Just off into the sunshine (always sunny in Dumfries and Galloway) on a mission to locate wonderful new sites for 2012 Doors Open Days.  Love this bit.  I'm going to a fine old stone farm deep in the middle of nowhere which possesses an agricultural collection dating back to the 19th century, a house with cells under it and a house built on the profits of the sugar trade.

I'll report back.

Learning how to sneak up on a limpet

A great day yesterday working for World Oceans Week Celebrations as their Beach Poet.  I had to gather my own punters by parading through the marquees with a large badge and a signboard, which was a tad demanding to think about, but actually ok to do.  Of course poets have always had to tout.

I gathered a surprisingly large group of kids aged 10 to 14 or so, lots of whom lived in Port William and knew the beach like the back of their hands.  I asked them where were the best places to find interesting 'treasures', and they took everyone there on one of the most gloriously shiny days the Solway can deliver.  We lifted boulders and caught small green crabs with soft backs, which the kids explained were the pregnant females.  Someone got nipped. 

I stopped to exclaim at a fantastically barnacled limpet, which just for a moment I'd thought I could lift up.  Then it clung tight.  The lads explained how to sneak up on a limpet.  'You only get one chance'.  They demonstrated too, and someone got their finger squeezed fiercely.

We gathered seaweeds, live crabs, dead crabs (one was very, very dead, and even the kids deemed it too smelly to write next to), a heavy metal bolt, very corroded, a seaworn piece of hosepipe that had turned almost into ceramic, driftwood, shells, Oarweed...

Then into the shade of a tent to read some sea poetry by Russell Hoban, Kevin Crossley-Holland and more, then we took up my little created-for-the-purpose Beach Poetry booklets, and got stuck in.

Have a read.

Viewpoint Voices with U3A at Palnackie

An open-minded and enthusiastic group from the U3A joined Anna Johnson from National Scenic Areas, Clare Rodgers from the Scottish Book Trust, and me, at the Millenium Viewpoint in Palnackie a few days ago.  The gorse blazed, the birds sang.  We talked about the history of Palnackie, its smuggling, its industry, its inhabitants.  Then we perched on benches, and wrote, silently, furiously, for nearly ten minutes.  Great concentration.  Then all eleven of us repaired to Palnackie's cafe, where...

...we drank tea (only one excitable spillage) while playing wordgames of the kind designed to encourage poets to steal good ideas.  Then we began work on our Palnackie cinquains.
I could see this group was forging ahead and full of ideas, so I'm really looking forward to our next meeting in a month, when we get into editing our cinquains, do a short 'reading-your-work-aloud' workshop, and then make a recording of all this endeavour to capture the essence of a beautiful, particular place in the East Stewartry National Scenic Area.

World Oceans Week Celebrations this June

It's World Oceans Week Celebrations in Dumfries and Galloway!  For free family fun at the beach, come along to Rockcliffe on Sunday 3 June and to Port William on Sunday 10th June.  There's lots to do and I'm very excited to be offering Poetry on the Beach at both events. 

The sea and the shore has long been a source of inspiration to poets and artists.  We'll find beach treasure and turn it into verbal gems...  To make it easier I will be providing little booklets and a pencil.

Poetry on the Beach will be happening 1.30pm to 3pm at Rockcliffe on the 3rd, and 11am to 12.30pm at Port William on the 10th.  Free.

The Moffat Gallery - new art for spa

Moffat has a gorgeous new art venue - The Moffat Gallery.  Find it here on Facebook and here on the web.  Founder Elizabeth Roberts has created gold from the workaday lead of an 18th century cottage and builders yard.
It launches on Friday with 'Paths', a suite of 12 black and white photographs by Jennifer Gough-Cooper, of Ian Hamilton Finlay's garden at Little Sparta.

The Joy of Science

Well, the 3rd annual Dumfries & Galloway Science Festival electrified the region all the way from Stranraer to Langholm during the first week of May.  Almost 2000 schoolchildren took part in science workshops, demonstrations and hands-on activities provided to 15 primary schools and 7 secondaries.   

And on Saturday 5th May Wild Science Family Mayhem! Day drew 620 avid young scientists and their families to the Crichton Campus in Dumfries to experience a real extravaganza of free science workshops, interactive displays and (actually) explosive demonstrations for a public audience.

Wearing my other hat, I had a great time being Writer in Residence, making nanoBOOKS and Poetry Postcards with lots of lively-minded children.  Here's Luke with his Science Fiction in a Flash thriller, 'Steamworks'.

This little girl was 6 years old, working with English as her 2nd language.  She wrote:

The salmon dreams in the stream.
I saw the fish in my sleep.

 

Writer in Residence at Wild Science Family Mayhem! Day

I am really looking forward to this!  Wild Science Family Mayhem! Day is part of Dumfries & Galloway Science Festival 1st to 6th May 2012.  All young writers welcomed.  And everything is free.

Winning Poem!

I'm so pleased my poem was one of the winners in the recent University of St Andrews Competition in partnership with the StAnza Festival.

The brief was to write a short poem for display alongside certain artefacts.  Here's the cast of the skull of Bishop James Kennedy, and here's my poem, displayed on a card in the glass case:


He has become his own reliquary,
a mirror image of a prayer.
Put your ear to his shell,
hear it fill with his breath.

There are some wonderful poems by the other winners Pippa Little, Janette Ayachi, Chris Lawrence and Ruth Aylett. Go take a look here.

Signs of spring

From my bothy office I can hear the conversation of the blackbirds, and the irregular piping of oystercatchers circling down the hill to the lochan.  It's very pleasant.  (Admittedly the photo of our orchard is last spring's.  We don't have apple trees in flower in March in Scotland.  But you catch my drift).

I'm busy with a very suitable project for spring in the form of 'Beyond the Garden Gate', a festival surely designed in heaven by Moffat Book Events.  It's Moffat, it's May-time and someone has invented the perfect blend of open books, open gardens and old-fashioned Teas.  Click here for more.

And enjoying managing the website of the World Peace Sanctuary at Allanton House, Auldgirth, where many warm and wonderful projects happen all year round.  Here they are.

Lots of other things too, life is filled with variety at the moment - interpretation panels for Loch Ken, and Criffel, work starting on that most fun of festivals - Dumfries and Galloway Wild Science - click here - and work with the National Scenic Areas on Viewpoint Voices.  Think mapping the Solway coast in local poems.

Poetry@The Ivory

Another reading - this time I'm off to Glasgow, where I've been invited to read at Poetry@The Ivory.  Writer and workshop tutor Kate Tough has put together a line-up of women poets to celebrate (only slightly late) International Women's Day.  I'm looking forward to sharing the stage with JL Williams and Patricia Ace.

After that I'm off to StAnza, Scotland's Poetry Festival at St Andrews, for a few days of verse immersion.

Roncadora Poets read at The Green Tea House Sat 3 March

I'm delighted to be reading among the talent and bone-dry wit of the Roncadora Poets in what must be one of the most perfect settings for verse - The Green Tea House in Moniaive. We're all published by Dumfries and Galloway’s award-winning Roncadora Press and will endeavour to wow and woo you on Saturday 3 March at 7pm. Tickets are £6, available from 01848 200099.

Here's the infamous team photo (as once captioned by Hugh McMillan: 'Roncadora are a family firm purveying mutton pies, butteries, mince rounds and bread and butter puddings. The present board of directors, photographed here, pride themselves on providing high calorie fare for the most discerning of palates."  Speak for yourself Hugh.).
More truthfully, you, the audience, can expect varied and engaging poetry helpfully complemented by a free glass of wine and canapés created by The Green Tea House. Hot drinks will also be available.
Roncadora Press is owned and managed by Hugh Bryden, renowned artist, teacher, writer – and increasingly well-regarded publisher. Roncadora Press was shortlisted in 2008 for the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award for Pamphlet Poetry with Hugh’s own pamphlet ‘If Ah Could Talk tae the Airtists’; then won the prize in 2009 with well- published poet Hugh McMillan’s ‘Postcards from the Hedge’, and was shortlisted again in 2011 with Jean Atkin’s ‘Lost at Sea’. Roncadora has also been successful in the prestigious Michael Marks Poetry Pamphlet competition, shortlisted in 2010 with ‘Devorgilla’s Bridge’ by Hugh McMillan and again in 2011 with a selection of work by the poets reading at this event.
The reading at the Green Tea House will feature work by Jean Atkin, Hugh Bryden, Andrew Forster, Hugh McMillan and Rab Wilson. They will read from their recently published work, but also provide a taster of new poems on their way to publication, and talk about the process.

Smugglers, chocolate mud and concertina books

"But what kind of brown are you seeing?" asked Mr Hugh Bryden.  "It's chocolate brown mud!" replied the ten year old.  And it was.

I've just spent two wholly absorbing mornings working at Palnackie Primary School with Hugh B, developing creative connections between people and landscapes for the National Scenic Areas.  (More about National Scenic areas here).  Out we went to Palnackie's Millennium Viewpoint, where I got the children writing down a Word Landscape, and Hugh capped that easily by getting them waterpainting at 0 degrees C.  But it was a wide landscape filled with cool winter colour, and the kids produced wonders.

The following Friday it was my turn, and we created a whole group poem.  I read them extracts of John Clare, and Katrina Porteous' 'Dunstanburgh', and an extract from 'Lost at Sea'.  We talked about the history of Palnackie, and the secrets that were kept here.  (A lonely excise man lived in the village, surrounded by a thriving smuggling trade).  Here's the second stanza of their group poem:

The skeleton trees of winter shiver

at the Viewpoint.  Our fingers cold

as ice, we fit Kippford to Kirkennan
on paper.  Thin black lines

of hedges fence the fields.

The Urr sweeps its curves

in chocolate mud and the tide

brings silt to bury the harbour. 

I'm always impressed by the way children can make complex choices about language, making decisions on tense, when to strip out an adjective, which verb to choose. They capped each other's suggestions and worked energetically. 
Then the kids created their own poems, and 'published' them into hand-decorated concertina books:

Moffat Book Events invites you to a new FB Page

Do come along and visit Moffat Book Events' new Facebook Page.  It currently features all our latest updates and spring-inducing photographs for this irresistible new spring festival, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May.  Share your pleasure in all things green and please click the Like button at the top our of our Page, it's terribly encouraging.

Craigieburn Gardens - open free 27 May!

 

Click here - Moffat Book Events New FB Page!

Think of books, and May, and gardens

I'm energised by thoughts of spring, brought on in part by working for Moffat Book Events, who have spent their winter planning a gem of a weekend event.  'Beyond the Garden Gate' will take place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May offering two glorious days of visiting gardens, meeting authors and participating in events and conversations. 

Beyond the Garden Gate

 

Moffat Town Hall will host a Gardening Symposium titled ‘What are gardens for?’ and conversations with well known gardening authors, including doyenne of gardening Anna Pavord .

Also confirmed to appear at the festival are international garden and landscape photographer and writer Jennifer Gough-Cooper who will be discussing her latest book Origins, and her long term working partnerships with Scottish artists Richard Demarco and Ian Hamilton Finlay; and Richard Wheeler, National Trust garden history specialist on 'genius loci', or the spirit of place. World famous Craigieburn Gardens, just outside the town, will be open free to the public all weekend, and will also host events. Tickets are available on The Booth http://www.thebooth.co.uk and from 1st February at www.moffatbookevents.co.uk

Curled into the bowl below its hills, Moffat is a town that oozes charm.  Add gardens, books, cream teas and the perambulation of hidden private gardens which will open on the Sunday, and thoughts of Maytime and sunlight do flood the imagination...