WRITING EXPERIENCE

I began writing as soon as I could navigate my fingers around a yellow Eagle pencil. I published a collection of poetry when I was 18. Since then I have published poetry, fiction and non-fiction in books, magazines, journals and on the Internet.

I have edited literary magazines, such as Scrievins and Scots Glasnost, and translated poetry from French, German, Greek and Hebrew into Scots.

I have worked for Fife Council as a Creative Writing Tutor, teaching courses for adults and children. I have taught writing courses in liaison with community services, such as Adult Basic Education in Fife, Focus Education in Cupar and the mental health organisation ENeRGI.

My writing profile is published in the author database of the Scottish Book Trust’s website and I have run Live Literature funded projects in schools.

I offer a range of taught and online professional writing services. My Courses page has details of these services and contains examples of my teaching work.

OTHER INFO

I obtained a First in Divinity at St Andrews University and went on to postgraduate study, which included lecturing in Greek to first year students at Exeter University.
I achieved a distinction in my PGCE studies in Religious Education and English, and subsequently worked as a secondary school teacher.

I compose, play and record music.
My Music page features sample tracks of my work.  

PERFORMANCE AND PUBLICATION

I have performed at various events and venues through the years, including the Scottish Poetry Library, the What’s Left event with Liz Lochhead and the St Andrews Arts Festival - recorded for Radio 4’s In Verse.
I have read at a range of community events in Scotland, including the Pittenweem Arts Festival and the St Monans Community Arts Festival.

I have been published in the following books:

Spring Poets, Regency Press, London, 1974.
Past the Hour of Darkness, 1975.
Four Fife Poets: Fower Brigs Ti A Kinrik, Aberdeen University Press, 1988.
Behind The Lines, Carl MacDougall (ed.), The Third Eye Centre, Glasgow, 1989.
The New Makars, Tom Hubbard (ed.), The Mercat Press, Edinburgh, 1991.
Shamanic Warriors Now Poets, J. N. Reilly and Ira Cohen (eds.), R & R Publishing, 2003.
Fringe of Gold: The Fife Anthology, Duncan Glen and Tom Hubbard (eds.), Birlinn Books, Edinburgh, 2008.
The Spiritual Recluse and the Bebop Prism, 2009.
Flights of Fancy, Stephen Jones (ed.), The Linden Tree Press, 2010.
A Thousand Cranes: Scottish Writers for Japan, Iain Paton, Cara McGuigan, Allan Gillespie and Alex Cox (eds.), Cargo Publishing, 2011.
The Outsiders, Rosie Lesso (ed.), 2011.    

and in the following magazines: 

Different Voices, Gutter, Harter, Lallans, Markings, Scrievins, Scots Glasnost, The Eildon Tree, The Pathhead Review.