Poetry

Here are all of my page and performance poetry credits.

2022

Two poems, ‘Untitled’ and ‘A Modest Proposal’ were published in the Forest Publishing zine, incantatrix, which is available on etsy. 

2021

At the very end of 2020, Algia Press accepted my pamphlet Parent. Worshipper. Carrion. for publication. This was my first collection of all my own work and I was delighted to work with Algia on the project. The pamphlet was published with an event online on February 18th 2021. And then, less than two weeks later, the pamphlet was completely sold out! I’m in the process of recording versions of the poems for my YouTube channel given that some people have missed on getting a copy.

Forest Publishing’s book, Where do you see yourself in Five Years? is now available. It contains my piece ‘Now is not a good time,’ which is more a short piece of non-fiction than a poem per se.

My poem ‘Farmer’ was published by Pushing out the Boat in May 2021, and my poem ‘The Pencaitland Hoopoe’ was published by Wet Grain Journal, Issue 2, in August 2021. We for Women included my poem ‘Silence’ in an exhibition which toured to Liverpool and Glasgow over 2021 and 2022. Three poems were included in the MASS May edition which can be viewed here.

2020

The second edition of Umbrellas of Edinburgh was published in November 2020. My poem inspired by Rosslyn Chapel appears in the book, which can be purchased via this link.

I submitted to the Poetry Archive’s call out for work inspired by Corona Virus. From 378 entries, my poem was one of nine commended by the judges alongside the 20 winning works. The entry process was via video!

After eight years of entering, I won my writing group’s Writer of the Year award.  There is a picture of the very handsome trophy I get to keep for a year at the top of this page.

A poem on the theme of Time has been accepted by Forest Publishing. This small collection will be published next year.

My poem ‘I am not what you consider beautiful’ was published by Mookychick’s in their first Anthology, Medusa. Download the whole anthology for free here.

A concrete poem inspired by seeing two dragonflies, attached, on holiday was published in August 2020 by this ezine.

 

Of course all spoken word gigs dried up when full lockdown was introduced in Scotland in March 2020.

I was one of three feature poets at Listen Softly in January 2020. My poem ‘Last Born’ was also accepted by the Gentian Journal. Later on in January, two poems were accepted by The Pain Journal: ‘Village Support Group,’ and ‘Extraction.’

 

2019

My poem ‘Cauterise’ was shortlisted for the Grindstone International Poetry Competiton in November. It  appears in the Winner’s Anthology 2019.

I was delighted to complete my first poetry residency for the Lanterne Rouge cafe in Gifford, East Lothian. My main project for the year was to fundraise, collate, edit, typeset and publish anthology. Lanterne Rouge: The Last was published in November 2019 with all proceeds going to St Columba’s Hospice. Buy the anthology here(you’ll need to scroll down).

I was commissioned to write a poem inspired by Rosslyn Chapel for the second edition of Umbrellas of Edinburgh. ‘In Rosslyn Chapel’ will be published in 2020.

I was back with Poetry Circus at the Traverse on 20 July. I read A modest proposal, Moving House, and Shoe Box.

Poetry Circus invited me to perform as part of the Formation Festival on 7 July. This gig was my first time at the Assembly Roxy, which is making a bit of a name for it’s spoken word performances.

My poem New Houses was published in the Summer Issue of Vegan Connections Magazine.

We (myself and the Listen Softly team, Dominic Stevenson and Claire Askew) hosted a Listen Softly, Gifford at the Lanterne Rouge Cafe  on 18 May. It was a fantastic night, with some excellent booked readers, and a surprisingly good open mic.

One of my poems was displayed in Bishopton Station as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival. Here I am, cheesing at it!

I chaired my first ever poetry panel at Literally Newbattle, Midlothian’s first book festival, on 27 April. Had a wonderful morning chatting poetry with Hannah Lavery and Mary Johnstone.

I successfully funded an anthology of poems to coincide with my poetry residency via Kickstarter. Lanterne Rouge: The Last, will be available in November.

I was asked to write and perform a crime poem at Noir at the Bar, Edinburgh on 27 February. The resulting poem was called Overstepped, and went down really well with this brilliant group of folk.

I was asked to perform at Speakin’ Cajun on 12 January at the Traverse Bar. I performed Scotch Pie in an Open Sky, Parenting Footprints, and Slow Adult Reader.

My poem, Langelinie. was published in the very first edition of The Selkie in January 2019.

I am the first poet in residence of Lanterne Rouge Cafe, Gifford! The residency will last for the whole year.

2018

I was asked to perform at Murder Ballads at Woodland Creatures in Leith in October 2018. I chose to read Suckling and A child after surgery. We got reviewed! I have never been described as Shamanic before.

The Dog Ear Comic have my poem, Sewing online just now (October 2018).

August 2018: The Selkie published my poem ‘Inner Poise.‘ They also published Non-Binary, my first published poem on this theme.

During the Edinburgh Festival, 2018 I was given performance poetry slots at Listen Softly, Edinburgh, and That’s What She Said.

My poem Coffee Shops was published on the Spilt Milk Blog in May 2018.

I had my first official slot on a Spoken Word Night! I performed two poems at the Poetry Circus Broken Hearts Night. Here is a review of the evening.

I was rewarded for my bravery in attending the Open Mic at Inky Fingers in October 2017 as it led onto another gig. I was delighted to perform at Dear Diary, which was part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival.

I won the 2017 Glasgow Women’s Library Poetry Competition. It was an absolute pleasure to hear all of the shortlisted poems and prose pieces at the showcase held at the library, and my piece Release Marks was chosen as the winner in the poetry category.

My poem Unst Journal has been published in the Unst Writer’s Group Anthology, Across the Sound.

I had the opportunity to participate in two open mics at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017: She Grrrowls, and That’s What She Said. I had great feedback from my five minute set: the Scotsman were at one of the gigs and described me (and the other open-mic participants that night) as a ‘talented rookie cutting their teeth.’