Poems and Tales

Title: The Poetry Hat Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Photo of Jessica Le Blackhall in a Vietnamese Poetry Hat by Nga Le BlackhallCost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall January 2015. Thanks are extended to Nga Le Blackhall for permission to use her photograph of a Vietnamese poetry hat, as the cover for this pamphlet. The Poem Hats of Hue inspired the title of this collection. Conical hats are one of the most common symbols of Vietnam recognized everywhere. But Hue hats are exceptional. Often called 'poem hats', they reflect the artistic nature of its people. Some of the poems were inspired by the Aberdeen Artists Christmas Exhibition at the Aberdeen Art Centre. Some of the tales were commissioned by Barry Donaldson of the Aberdeen Reading Bus for a Storytelling Project. The Doric version of the Gruffalo was commissioned by Bruce Eunson Scots Language Co-ordinator Education Scotland/Foghlam Alba for a Gruffalo event in the Spring of 2015. Northwords Now Issue 28 Autumn 2014 published the poem Referendum: Eurydice Tint. A Buddhist Valentine will appear in an American Anthology celebrating The International Day of Happiness, 2015. Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.