About / Bio
I have been composing poetry for over 30 years; my poems normally begin with a phrase or sentence in my head that I like the feel of. I explore feelings, reactions to people, places, things, and events.
I studied English Lit at university and taught EFL in Spain. Initially for a nine-month teaching contract, I fell in love with the country and lived there for twenty-three years. Now fluent in Spanish, it has inspired many of my poems. Translating my poetry began simply, by wanting to give Spanish friends, who didn’t speak English, the opportunity to read my work. It proved to be fascinating and instructive; I saw new meanings, better words, nudged nuances, through the prism of a different language. I now compose in and translate into both languages
While in Spain I became heavily involved with Primary English as a Foreign Language teaching, which lead to my first publications textbooks in primary EFL, one of which became a best seller in latin America and the USA used with Spanish speaking migrant children.
I have been performing poetry at spoken word events for several years. If a piece of work is well received, I post it on my blog. I took advantage of lockdown to work on my writing and had my first poems published in 2020. In 2022 I published my first poetry collection independently “The Possibility of Pebbles” poems inspired by the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Reflecting my practice, the poems are published in both English and Spanish.
I was Scottish chair for WGGB 2010 – 2016.
Contact
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Genres
Sample of work
Moonlight
Trusting, believing, following,
the speckled semaphore of stars.
Daughter of dusk
guided into the night
leaving the tango of twilight.
Blinded, blistered, battered
scratched, scourged, scarred by thorns
trying to catch moonbeams
silver chimes of crystal.
Moonlight giving courage
to the heart to become the
daughter of dawn.
Writer's credits
Poetry
April 2022 “The Possibility of Pebbles” A poetry collection on the Japanese Tea Ceremony
Nov 2021 “Flight To Freedom” published in Poetry Collection “If You Were Me” Scotland
Apr 2021 “Cruising the Cairngorms” Wild Sound Festival Canada
June 2020 “Strawberry Jam” commissioned for a multi art form project to commertae Edwin Morgan’s 100thanniversary inspired by his poem Strawberries
July 2020 Haiku Lockdown a Haiku on my response to first lockdown. Part of Manchester Poetry Library Archive collection #WWWANa Haiku on my response to first lockdown. Part of Manchester Poetry Library Archive collection #WWWAN
July 2020 “The Word “ A Poem on my response to first lockdown. Part of Manchester Poetry Library Archive collection #WWWANa Haiku on my response to first lockdown. Part of Manchester Poetry Library Archive collection #WWWAN
Sept 2020 “Witness by the Window” A poem describing the scenes and vies from my flat. Newspoint Magazine by Viewpoint
Nov 2020 Haiku Tree Chain published in anthology “This Gift of Time” Open Book Scotland.
Books
August 2013 “Shoeless Cinderella and the Paparazzi” Retelling of a classic fairy tale
2009 2012 Editor Contributor The Bugle Magazine Bethany Christian Trust
May 2002 Playground Fun Red Pack Teacher’s Guide and Student Book Richmond Publishing London / Santillana Madrid 1999 (co-authored)
May 1999 Playground Fun Blue Pack Teacher’s Guide and Student Book Richmond Publishing London / Santillana Madrid ( co-authored)
Oct 1996 Playground One Teacher’s Book, Student Book, Exercise Book Logophon Mainz Germany