Fronds from Down Under

Added on 15 January 2018

I have been away in China and New Zealand since November, and am now back home to a rather chillier climate with a new year resolution to share, weekly, some of things I wonder about. My favourite (non-human) thing about New Zealand was its forests and the most wonderful thing about them was the fer...

What kind of retreats do you like?

Added on 12 November 2017

I recently ran a survey about creative writing retreats, in order to find out what people prefer. Over the years I have run more than 20 weeks of retreats and I’d like to do so again. But things have changed around here – the venues I have used locally have either changed hands or are ru...

A primrose in autumn? And other strange things happening in the woods...

Added on 04 November 2017

Primroses shouldn’t be out in October, should they? I spotted this in the woods a few weeks back, and it has been bothering me. I wanted to share it. I’m thinking a lot about climate change, and in particular the vital role that forests and woodlands play in helping to mitigate the impa...

A-B-Tree re-launch and e-launch

Added on 04 November 2017

The Overton-prize-winning short collection of tree poems, A-B-Tree is now reprinting and available to buy, complete with concertina of lovely pictures by Bill Ritchie. It's only available from me, direct. There's a paypal button on this page: A-B-Tree or contact me direct if you don't do...

Still in the Iron Age

Added on 09 September 2017

The dig at Clachtoll broch is still going on and I'm writing regular dig diaries on the broch website. It's getting really exciting, with daily finds from the layers that have been undisturbed for more than two thousand years. So far the parts of my forthcoming novels that are set at the bro...

The Tree Charter

Added on 09 September 2017

I'm really proud to have been commissioned to write the Scottish poem for the launch of the Tree Charter. It is one of ten poems, one for each of the principles of the Charter, and it will be engraved on a totem pole that will be erected at Langs Craig, near Glasgow, on Saturday 25 November (10....