there'll be nae cries o misery jist the creakin soun o openin doors - Read these poems and be inspired. In the wake of the 1979 Devolution Referendum, followed by the impact of Thatcherite policies on Scottish society, many Scottish writers and intellectuals began articulating the distinctiveness of Scottish literary, cultural, social and political traditions and outlooks. Some joined popular political campaigns, from opposing the Poll-Tax and Trident to the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly, which led to a Scottish Parliament. Many now look forward to new possibilities for the future with more confidence in the value and importance of our country's culture and politics, as these poems reveal. Whatever the outcome of Scotland's Independence Referendum on 18 September 2014, a better Scotland is possible. Across every aspect of life in Scotland - housing, inequality, life expectancy, health, education, crime, sectarianism, localism and more - we all know that a better Scotland is possible. And then there's Trident. And the Bedroom Tax. And the Democratic Deficit. And on it goes.

A Rug of a Thousand Colours is an exploratory project between a Palestinian poet who is now a resident in Scotland and an established Scottish poet. The poems explore Tessa and Iyad’s personal responses to the Five Pillars of Islam. Although from different backgrounds the two poets form a dialogue which is interwoven throughout the poems and creates a vivid tapestry of ideas surrounding the Five Pillars of Islam. Each poet translates the other’s work so that each poem is presented in English and in Arabic.

there’ll be nae cries o misery jist the creakin soun o openin doors Read these poems and be inspired. In the wake of the 1979 Devolution Referendum, followed by the impact of Thatcherite policies on Scottish society, many Scottish writers and intellectuals began articulating the distinctiveness of Scottish literary, cultural, social and political traditions and outlooks. Some joined popular political campaigns, from opposing the Poll-Tax and Trident to the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly, which led to a Scottish Parliament. Many now look forward to new possibilities for the future with more confidence in the value and importance of our country’s culture and politics, as these poems reveal. Whatever the outcome of Scotland’s Independence Referendum on 18 September 2014, a better Scotland is possible. Across every aspect of life in Scotland – housing, inequality, life expectancy, health, education, crime, sectarianism, localism and more – we all know that a better Scotland is possible. And then there’s Trident. And the Bedroom Tax. And the Democratic Deficit. And on it goes.

This new collection of work from Tessa Ransford is marked out by an authentic and unique voice, honed through a lifetime of dedication to her art. The cover photograph shows the author in 1981 when she founded the School of Poets in Edinburgh.

Inspired by the rediscovery of an Urdu phrasebook, Ransford takes the reader on a journey to explore the differences between ‘then’ and ‘now’, linking the reader to a world now lost to most. These poems question what it is to be both British and Indian, drawing on the author’s memories and experiences to celebrate and uncover an ‘Indian’ self. This collection of poems reveals the influences that have been formative over four decades of Tessa Ransford’s writings.

Not Just Moonshine: New and Selected Poems has been compiled to celebrate Tessa Ransford's seventieth birthday. This book chooses poems from each of the last four decades. This selection makes possible an overview of Tessa' development, styles and themes as a poet. It represents a substantial body of work, from one of Scotland's most consistently accomplished and engaging poets.

For the last thirty years, poet Tessa Ransford has lived in view of Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park. Drawing on the paradox of variety within stability as the landscape changes, yet remains constant, over the years and seasons, Ransford has built up this collection over many years in response to the view from her window. The beautifully descriptive poetry is accompanied by full colour photography throughout.

Ian Abbot's life was one devoted to poetry, but at the time of his early death in 1989 he had published only one collection of poems. To the complete text of that first book, 'Avoiding the Gods', this new volume adds poems from Abbot's archives in the National Library of Scotland - some carefully typed and preserved, destined for publication, others found as drafts, handwritten in notebooks - and those poems (ranging from Abbot's first appearance in the San Franciscan counter-culture arts journal Kayak in 1968 to a long standing relationship with Lines Review) published during the poet's lifetime, but uncollected into book form. In his Introduction, editor Richie McCaffery describes his aim as two-fold: to address the abrupt end of Abbot's poetry and to attempt to secure his reputation as a poet - to help to 'finish the picture' of his life and work.

In 2002, poet Tessa Ransford and artist Joyce Gunn-Cairns set off from Edinburgh, with the aid of a travel grant from the Scottish Arts Council, to visit Leipzig. Tessa investigated the poetry scene, and translated five of the poets whose work she admired, while Joyce drew portraits of them and took photographs. The poets featured here are Wulf Kirsten, Thomas Rosenlocher, Elmar Schenkel, Andreas Reimann, Uta Mauersberger, and Tessa herself. An anthology with a difference.