In April 2022, Birlinn (named after a kind of boat commonly used in the West of Scotland) published a repackaged edition of Robin Lloyd-Jones’ 1989 book, Argonauts of the Western Isles, newly titled as Argonauts of the Scottish Isles. That this book has been around on people’s bookshelves and in their imaginations for more than … Continue reading Exploring Scotland’s West Coast
Robin Lloyd-Jones, Project Manager at Autumn Voices, recommends: What Dementia Teaches Us About Love by Nicci Gerrard (Allen Lane, 2019) This book grew out of the death of Nicci Gerrard’s father from dementia and her belief that the disease and its impact on individuals, families and the wider world needs light shed upon it to … Continue reading Robin’s Jolabokablog
Walled Garden walled kitchen garden, sea-besieged, forest-hemmed peaceful fertile womb Cauliflower naked brassica severed from crowning glory: prize cauliflower
During September we asked you to send in your flash fictions on the topic of pets, animals and the natural world. Thank you to all those who took the time to enter. All the Autumn Voices staff held a secret ballot to choose our favourite and the eventual winner was: Roger Knight, who’s 70 and … Continue reading Flash fiction – Pets, animals and the natural world – Winner Announcement
A Haiku Journal Trilogy: Gap in the Promenade Wall A week before my 80th birthday I took a walk along the Helensburgh promenade – a walk I often do. There is a gap in the sea wall where stone steps lead down to the shore. I would tell myself, ‘One day I will jump across … Continue reading Haiku Journal – 12
Tell us 4 important facts about yourself: I clearly remember being a teenage lad and realising all the role models I was presented with had these monolithic careers that defined them but also limited them – I was astonished at how little they seem to know about the rest of life. It made me determined … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Alasdair Wright
Sheena Blackhall, aged 74, is a prolific writer in both Doric and English. Sheena is a poet, novelist, short story writer, illustrator, traditional storyteller and singer. In 2019 Sheena was presented with the Janet Paisley Lifetime Achievement Award. Tell us 4 important facts about yourself Currently I am Makar for the North East Doric Board … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Sheena Blackhall
Tell us 4 important facts about yourself: I published a collection of poems, The Watching Stair (Worple Press), in 2018. I thought it would be my last, but I’m beginning to put together another. Currently I’m writing a sequel to a children’s book that did very well 30 years ago! Next week I’m doing a Zoom … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Diana Hendry
freshly exposed extending sky-mirror sands mind-expanding stretch
Kriss Nichol, aged 71. Kriss is a writer and long-serving Autumn Voices staff and steering group member. You can also read a little more about her on our steering group page. Tell us 4 important facts about yourself: I have had several career changes. I started out doing office work at 16 as a Civil … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Kriss Nichol
Orlando is a cat. In human terms he passed sixty this month, so is now eligible to be a member of Autumn Voices. His ‘staff’, Sallie and Robin, have filled in the QQQ for him because he’s too busy doing more important things… like catching up on his sleep. Coming soon: Orlando’s new, regular Autumn … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Orlando
Mary Irvine, aged 76. Mary is one of Autumn Voices’ most regular contributors. Tell us 4 important facts about yourself: I drifted into a career in education rather than planning to. I became Head of Compensatory Education in Senior High and then moved to teach A-Level English and oversee S.E.N. in a Sixth Form College. … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Mary Irvine
Born in the Midlands, educated in Yorkshire, worked in Glasgow as a publisher and journalist, Simon has also lived in Sicily and Cyprus. Now spends most of his time in the Highlands wandering around knocking on doors as an interviewer.
hollow, ribbed tubes
natural engineering
of perfection
Ingrid’s writing recently has been sporadic. She can write nothing for two years and then write two dozen poems in two months. She has no idea what turns the tap on and off. Her poetry has been published online by Ink Sweat and Tears and Open Mouse, in print in New Writing Scotland and been shortlisted for the Jane Martin Prize (pre age-restriction). In 2015 she collaborated with then Edinburgh Makar, Christine de Luca, on the poem ‘A Month on the Mile’. Ingrid won the 2020 Autumn Voices Poetry Competition with ‘Digitalis Purpurea’.
