My Writing online

My poetry pamphlet Bougainvillea Dancing published 2002 and now sold out, raised money for charities working in Malawi. My poetry pamphlet Unthinkable Skies was published 2010 by Calder Wood Press, it is now sold out but you can find out more about the book here

Here are a selection of my online publications, links to collaborations etc

Poetry Online 

My poem Viewing a Landscape Through Cataracts included in the reponses to the painting "Green Terrain" by Kelly Austin-Roloon on the Ekphrastic Review site.

One of my haiku was awarded a merit in the Gloucestershire Poetry Society Haiku Contest. You can read all the prize winning haiku in Issue 13 of Steel Jackdaw, which you can purchase here.

a tanka in the inaugural issue of Password journal of very short poetry. You can read the whole issue here.

two haiku in Issue 2 of The Pan Haiku Review.

a haiku in Issue 20 of Scarlet Dragonfly

A haiku in Haiku Corner 41 at The Japan Society UK

Three of my haiku are included in Issue 1.2 of Haiku Netra.

I have a haiku in Mamba 14, the magazine of the African Haiku Network.

Three of my haiku feature in Haiku Girl Summer - one in the rain themed issue, one in the bird themed issue and one in the Sun-Baked issue.

I have a haiku in Haiku Corner week 31 on the Japan Society website. 

I have a haiku in Issue 77 of Stardust Haiku

I have a haiku on the Five Fleas (Itchy Poetry) site.

I have two senryu in Issue 85 of Failed Haiku.

I have a haiku in the beautifully illustrated inaugural issue of Haiku Seeds.
I have three haiku in the Plum Tree Tavern Autumn Moon Festival.
 I have a haiku in Issue 7 of Scarlet Dragonfly (scroll down to read mine)
My poem Leopard falls at Midnight was included in Visual Verse Volume 9, Chapter 11. You can read the whole chapter and the artwork that inspired it all here
Two senryu in Issue 82 of Failed Haiku 
A haiku (along with commentary) included on Haiku Seeds Blossom.  
I have a haiku included in the Asahi Haikuist network thread on olive oil here.
A selection of haiku on Under the Basho. 
I have haiku included in the reports of the Kelso Parkrun and the Edinburgh parkrun
selection of haiku on Lothlorien
a haiku in issue 10 of tsuri - doro (scroll down to read mine) 
a haiku in Issue 2 of Scarlet Dragonfly (scroll down to read mine) 
Signs of Spring on The Plum Tree Tavern site. 
I've got a handful of Petites (i.e. unfinished pieces) on the Roi Faineant Press site. (You may need to scroll down, mine are in Serving 12).
My poem Poetry in the Chess Cafe is included in Ekphrastic Review's selection of writing written in response to  Lily Prigioniera's painting The Poet! ekphrastic.net/ekphrastic-wried
My poem Dancing in Transylvania is included in the first issue of Pastel Pastoral. 
My poem 'Cat Sanctuary' was commended in the Dead Cat Poetry Contest. You can read all the winning poems here.  
Four poems on the Kalanopia website:The Memory Window, Cataracts, Two Haiku about cataracts
Haiku included in Haiku Foundation Haiku Dialogues: here, here and here
Petrified on Nine Muses Poetry Site (the links are now broken). 
Leopard in Balance  and Mayfly Time on the Plum Tree Tavern

A poem on the 87 Beavers website (link broken - website defunct.)
Four poems on the Glow of Emerald Light website: here, here, here and here.

My Poem Waiting for Swifts as part of the poetry Kit's Poetry of the Plague Year. 

My poem Gulls on The Beach Hut

two senryu in Failed Haiku Issue 50
a haiku was included in the daily email update from Daily Poets on 28/1/20

a haiku shortlisted in the John Muir Trust haiku competition
my poem Homeland in issue 2 of Re-side (link broken, website defunct). 
a haiku listed in the International Sakura Awards of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2019

a haiku in the Autumn 2019 issue of Wales Haiku

a poem on Poetry 24 (link broken - website now defunct)

Desert Lives, Citadel and Cat vs Sleep in issue 6 of Route 7 Review (link broken, try https://www.r7review.com/issues)
two haibun on The Other Bunny - here and here.

two haiku in Wales Haiku Autumn 2018. 
delighted to have a winning haiku in the Vancouver Cherry Blossom contest 2018.
My poem Melting in Panning for Poems Autumn 2018.

Even in the City on the Ogilvie Edinburgh Creative Review

Traffic on Plum Tree Tavern.
haiku in issue 57 of Haiku Journal.
Raspberry Picking on Misty Mountain Review.

Rogue  on Quatrain Fish (now defunct)

three haiku / senryu in Failed Haiku 16.

a haiku in hedgerow #109.

The Elephant in the Room on the Gnarled Oak website

a selection of haiku / senryu in Issue 5 of Failed Haiku

Neighbours on The Leaveners' Poets Corner.
a haiku in January 2016 issue of cattails
an honorouble mention in the 2016 Irish Haiku Society competition (scroll down).

Three four line poems on Quatrain Fish (site now defunct)
a haiku on Haiku Universe.
a couple of haiku in Shamrock31
a haibun on Haibun Today 
my haiku won 2nd place in the Edinburgh International Science Festival SciKu contest.
a one line haiku in A Hundred Gourds.
a haiku in ThreeLinePoetry Issue 28 - scroll down to read mine, the paperback version of this issue is now available here.
Wild Otter Chase on Misty Mountain Review.


my poem What is Left on the Bijou Poetry Review.
In The Office on the Work Literary Magazine website.
my page on Verse Wrights.
two short poems on Three Line Poetry (now available in paperback).
Cello in the Dark on the Bigger Stones website
a tanka on the Lyrical Passion website (scroll down to read mine)
Two poems in the Birds Issue of Cyclamens and Swords (link broken)

a poem in the Back of Beyond issue of Far Off Places.
a haiku on Hundred Gourds.
three poems on the Nature Writing website (link broken, this website is now defunct)
a prose poem in the Poised in Flight anthology from Kind of a Hurricane Press
Notice on Dog Ear (website defunct)
I was a contributor to the Winter 2012 / 13 cycle on Daily Haiku. You can read my haiku here.

My poem A Mountainside on an Autumn Evening won 2nd prize in the Mountaineering Council of Scotland poetry competition 2012
Return on Leaf Press
sleep deprived on Kumquat; Wordstorm and Gumusservi (website now defunct)
1 poem in Mistletoe Madness - download the e-book here - you may need to scroll down
1 poem on Misty Mountain Review.

2 haiku on Shamrock Haiku Journal (scroll down to read mine)
My poem Sleep Disturbed won the Creative Ink Writing Journal competition for May 2012 and the (April/May/June) quarterly prize! Page no longer avaiable.
one of my haiku took 2nd place and two were joint eighth in the Sketchbook Clouds kukai

another small piece on the Fortunates website.
Corstorphine Sycamore on Snake Oil Cure

A small piece on the Fortunates website

two haiku in the Sketchbook haiku thread on brides and weddings

The Family Tree on Snake Oil Cure (you may need to scroll down to find my poem) 

Heaven Shifts as part of the Responses to a poem by Tomas Tranströmer in Notes from the Underground (website may be defunct, but give it a click if you feel interested)
Papayas and Lemons and 48 Hours Without appeared in Gabrielle Bryden's Citrus Fiesta
Secrets in the Park, a haibun on A Hundred Gourds
One of my haiku came third and another took joint sixth place in the Sketchbook 'autumn leaves' kukai
One of my haiku took joint 4th place in the Sketchbook 'starry night' kukai
One of my haiku took joint 4th place in the Sketchbook 'rainbow' kukai
Some of my haiku appear in the thread about insects and bugs at Sketchbook
Two senryu in Prune Juice
another haiku in cupcake format at Poetry Digest!
Abstract on Camel Saloon
Dreamscapes and Deepest Darkest on Pygmy Giant
Three poems in Biggar Poetry Garden, June to September 2011
Death and the Cucumber on Poetry 24
I was a runner up in the Best for Film Hollywood Haiku competition
Alpine in Four and Twenty
Fumbling, Blues and Desolation in Sketchbook
Watercolour, Notes for a Love Song and Photographing Reality on Earthborne, Sound and Vision Issue

some of my haiku are included in this Sketchbook Haiku Thread
Amazonia on My Delayed Reactions
Not in Our Name a found poem on Verbatim Poetry.

a haiku published in cupcake format at Poetry Digest

Gloved at the Camel Saloon
Malawian Cafe at the Camel Saloon

Colinton Dell on Haibun Today
Shoes on Poetry, Songs and Writers of Scotland (broken link)
Helga on Pygmy Giant
a selection of ghazals on the Ghazal Page (website now defunct): Orange,  Stone Symphony, Malawian Moon, Sugar.

Short Stories online

My short story Grandma's Old Biscuit Tin on Flash Fiction North (scroll down to read it, but read the other stories along the way too!) 
 
My 100 word story Nesting on The Drabble. 

Flash fiction included in Adhoc Fiction e-books: here, here and here (stories are anonymous) 

Stories on the 50 word story site here, here and here
My short story inspired by the dog in the local kitchen showrooms won a Literative contest. (the story is no longer on the website)
A tiny story on 140story.
Mr Mouse on Children's Stories.
Adventures on Worsley Woods on Pygmy Giant.
Behind Closed Windows on Every Day Fiction.
Anya and the Foxgloves on Children's Srories.
a 'tweet sized' story on One Forty Fiction
my entry to the Clarity of Night short story competition 2011

Trash Fashion in Issue 2 of Easily Inspired Magazine 


Non-fiction online 

A short piece about street trees on the Writing Wild Pavements site

An article about surveying plants along the Water of Leith on the Water of Leith Conservation Trust website here

An article on wildlife in Edinburgh's Cemeteries in the St Michael's Church Newsletter here. And an article on the history of North Merchiston Cemetery in a later issue of the same magazine here.

A short piece on the importance of libraries included in the CILIPS Libraries Are Essential Campaign  

Four essays on the Pendemic website.

A piece about some of my craft projects as part of the Made at Home book, raising money for CRISIS.
Edinburgh's Winter Wonderland on Lothian Life.

Autumn - Glorious colours across Edinburgh on Lothian Life. 
Changing Seasons at Musselburgh on Lothian Life
Colinton and Craiglockart Dells on Scottish Book Trust's Favourite Places
The Dells in Spring on Lothian Life

I wrote a short series of guest posts about environmental issues around books and reading on Book after Book. You can read the posts here, here, here, here and here

I have a profile on WalkHighlands where you can find links to my short articles about walks I've done round Scotland
A wee piece about my time in Malawi on Pure Travel 

 

Anthologies etc

My short story Fetch won the Hireath Publishing Space Junk Drabble contest and will appear in a forthcoming anthology.  

My poem Letting Go is included in the All Poems are Ghosts anthology from tiny wren lit.

I have a story in CATS - Cycling Across Time and Space, a collection of feminist SF  stories about cats and bicycles. I have a few copies available for purchase, so if you're in the UK and would like a copy of the book (£10 including postage and packing) let me know. If you're overseas, you can purchase a copy from Microcosm Publishing at this link.

My poem On Fire is included in Green Ink Poetry Collection 7 Pyres, you can read it here

My poem The Welcome Committee is included in Summer Anywhere, an anthology from Dreich - find out more here.

I have two haiku in Last Train Home, an anthology of haiku about trains, which can be bought here.

One of my poems was highly commended in the Barn Owl Trust _ poetry competition 2016 and was included in Wildlife Words 4, which you can purchase here

I edited The Sun Breaks Through, an anthology of writing from the Write On writing class I teach at the Ripple Project. You can read my review on Good Reads and you can purchase a copy from the Ripple Project

I have a poem in the 'Busker' anthology from What the Dickens magazine.

I have two poems in the Standing Stones Anthology from An Lucht Lonrach - you can find out more and order a copy here.

I have a haiku in the Haiku News anthology - you can pre-order a copy here.
 
My poem Lost Dances of Cranes has been included in an English language and literature text book in India. The comprehension questions relating to the poem (but not the poem itself!) are on this page. You can find a line by line critique here.

I have a non fiction piece 'From My Malawian Cookbook' in Foreign Flavours, an anthology of writing about food abroad, published by Writers Abroad. Proceeds go to the Bookbus charity. You can order a copy here or you can download the e-book from Amazon.

I have a poem in Green Spaces, an anthology of environmental poetry from Poetry Space. You can order the anthology here.

 

Collaborations

My poem Lost Dances of Cranes has been set to music, by mezzo-soprano Mariya Kaganskaya, composer Elinor Armor and pianist Alla Gladysheva. You can see the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=c_P2r2bfkvM&feature=emb_logo.

Dosankodebbie created a beautiful piece of etagami art for one of my haiku.
One of my haiku is included in Tom Cipullo's Insomnia cycle, which premiered at The Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Halls, New York on 24 May 2011.
Adrift - a version of my poem, filmed by Alastair Cook
musical settings of some of my poetry by Belvedere Mountain Express.
Translations of my poetry into Spanish by Eugenia Andino: Making of a Muse, Towards a Dictionary of Archaic Terms, The End of Life as We Know it.

Interviews, Profiles etc

I took part in a podcast about ladybirds in cemeteries with Hidden Wings and Bloodlust, you can listen to it here

I was interviewed by Ask Me Anything, a group of young people from India. You can watch the interview on YouTube here

My profile on The Haiku Foundation. 

I was interviewed for the Kickstarter campaign for the CATS (Cycling Across Time and Space) anthology of cat and cycle themed SF. You can read my interview here.

I enjoyed being interviewed by Maya Rajesh on Pretty Little Scribbles, her teen lifestyle and review blog. You can read the interview here.  

I'm delighted to be included in this post on the Literary Corstorphine blog about poets who write about the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh

Interview on Sill of the World

Blog post about haiku at Sunny Room Studio

Featured poet on Cathy Cullis' Nevering blog
Interview on Gabrielle Bryden's blog
Interview on Open University Open Learn website
Interview on STV North Edinburgh website
A page about haiku on the Woodland Trust website (this link is now broken, sorry)
A profile on Edinburgh Reporter
Caroline Gill interviews me at her blog Coastcard
Featured Poet on One Night Stanzas, read an interview and my poem Vertigo here, Winter Streets here and Snow Blind and bio here.
Featured Artist on Junk Style Diva.
My profile on Famous Poets and Poems
I was Poet of the Week on Poetry Superhighway 9-15 October 2006



Miscellaneous

a photo on the inside cover of the 2020 calendar  for Friends of Figgate Park.

photo of a hoverfly and a link to one of my blogposts in this article from the Friends of Craighouse.

My sketch of a singing bunny was included in the Guardian newspaper's online gallery of readers' bunny drawings.

 Arthur's Seat (photo) in Camel Saloon Postcards

delighted to be included in this list of Edinburgh bloggers.

*

I had a haiku shortlisted in the 2023 Poetry on the Lake Haiku Contest.

I had a haiku shortlisted in the 2020 Evesham Festival of Words. 

I read my story Safari Blessings at the Edinburgh City of Literature Story Shop at Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011

I have also been published (or am to be published) in the following print journals:

Acorn, Acumen, Anon, Blithe Spirit, Curlew, Envoi, Frogpond, Gastronomica, Haiku Scotland, Iota, Modern Haiku, Moonstone, Mslexia, Orbis, Poetry Cornwall, Poetry Monthly, Poetry Scotland, Presence Haiku Journal, Quantum Leap, Raindog, Wisteria, Elements (the writing anthology from Biggar Science Festival 2019), Trash Panda, HQ.