CHAPTERS ABOUT: Spirits of the Age

Spirits of the Age: Scottish Self Portraits Paperback – 19 Aug 2005 by Paul Henderson Scott (Editor). Publisher Saltire Society ISBN-10 0854110879.

Alasdair Gray (one of the contributors to this book) in a memorable phrase once called on the Scots to "work as if you live in the early days of a better nation". Probably there have always been some people in Scotland who have done exactly that, and we are now in a period when there is more opportunity and more need for them. The restoration of the Scottish Parliament, even if it is still drastically limited in its powers, is by its mere existence a demand for a better Scotland. This book brings together some of these, not all but a good cross section, who are helping to build this better nation. They are spirits of the age in literature, painting, sculpture, music, ideas and science. Of course there are other vital activities and we hope to include them in a subsequent volume. Following the good example of Hume, Burns and Walter Scott, the contributors give a brief account of their experiences, influences and objectives. In doing that, they give us a clearer sense of their personalities than any subsequent biographer is likely to achieve. Together they build up a complex picture of contemporary Scotland, and of the opportunities and obstacles which challenge us.

Chapters About: Autumn Voices

Autumn Voices, price ₤12.99, is published by PlaySpace Publications,2018. Between 2015 and 2017 Robin Lloyd-Jones interviewed nineteen Scottish writers over the age of 70 (and himself): Sheena Blackhall, Larry Butler, Jenni Calder, A,C,Clarke, Stewart Conn, Douglas Dunn, Sally Evans, Vicki Feaver, Lee Gershuny, Alasdair Gray, Diana Hendry, Richard Holloway, James Kelman. Carl MacDougall, Bernard MacLaverty, Robin Lloyd-Jones, Alison Prince, Pauline Prior-Pitt, John Purser, Sheila Templeton. The twenty established writers who speak to us through Autumn Voices represent a total of over one hundred and fifty years of varied, fascinating and colourful life experience since passing the age of seventy. All of them show that productivity and creativity can be extended well into later life and provide role models for future generations. These are men and women who see old age as life’s last great adventure and who have chosen to embrace it, to regard it as a new and interesting phase of life, full of possibilities while also accepting the losses age brings with honesty, courage and even humour. Through their lives and their writing they demonstrate qualities, values and attitudes which contribute to successful ageing and continuing creativity. These mature autumn voices speak to us from a point where experience is at its maximum, perspective at its broadest and mastery of craft at its peak. We have much to learn from them.

The Poems: Saying the Unsayable

Saying the Unsayable: poems in Scots and English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Equinox Publishing Printed by Gatehouse Design & Print Agency, RGU, Aberdeen, launched at Aberdeen University’s May Festival, 2018. Many of these poems were written on a week’s retreat at Dhanakosa, Balquidder, entitled Tai Chi, Poetry and Meditation. ‘The Address Remembers’ was the poem of the Day on the website poemhunter.com. The Glasgow based poems were written whilst engaged on the Autumn Voices project. ‘Freedom o the Toun’ was written to perform on National Poetry Day, an open air event arranged by the poet Andy Bisset in Aberdeen. ‘The Street Art Rap’ was written to celebrate the Nuart project, produced and promoted by Aberdeen Inspired and Aberdeen City Council. The Tarland Burn was published in the Cromar History Group’s Magazine.For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. An interview in podcast form with the poet appears on: http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/podcast/sheena-blackhall Thanks are also due to Equinox for commissioning this collection, and in particular to Andy Bisset and Angela Joss for their work in bringing this collection to fruition. It is dedicated to the memory of the late Morven Coutts Blackhall. ‘Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death’ Coco Chanel.

The Poems: The Gype

Title: The Gype.Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.The cover image is that of Le Mat: The Fool. Woodcut, French, Marseille, 16th century Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall October 17 Acknowledgements:Many of these poems were written while recuperating after surgery at Fadlydyke Farm with Philip and Vicki Watt, New Deer. Le Mat: The Fool or The Jester is one of the 78 cards in a Tarot deck. The Fool is titled Le Mat in the Tarot of Marseilles, and Il Matto in most Italian language tarot decks. These archaic words mean "the madman" or "the beggar.” Jamie Fleeman. Jamie Fleeman was employed as a fool – a clown – by the Laird o’ Udny at Knockhall Castle near Newburgh, along the coast from Aberdeen. Born in 1713 at a croft at Longside near Peterhead Jamie died nearby at Kinmundy, in 1778. He was listed as a pauper in the Statistical Account for Longside.One of the poems was commissioned by John Cairns, Artistic Director of Haddo Arts Festival, after a cultural conversation, others reflected a visit to Peterhead Prison.Time Warp: 1897-2017 was written after a visit to the café on the corner of Whitehall Road and Desswood Place, formerly the hub of my great grandfather Matthew Booth’ s dairy empire in the city of Aberdeen.Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.The Life and Death of Jamie Fleeming: the Laird of Udny’s fool. by John Burnett Pratt was published by Lewis and James Smith in Aberdeen in 1859

The Poems: Win-Blawn

The Poems: Wind-Blawn Published by malfranteaux concepts. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. The cover image is from a surrealist Foocame Art Silk Poster, JapanCost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall August 2017. Many of these poems were written on a research trip to Edinburgh in July. For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. An interview in podcast form with the poet appears on: http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/podcast/sheena-blackhall. Thanks are also due to the support and encouragement of Keith Murray, in agreeing to publish this collection.Dedicated to Philip & Vicki Watt, Fadlydyke Farm, New Deer

The Poems: The Sanctuary Knocker

Title: The Sanctuary Knocker. Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. The cover image is that of the great Sanctuary Knocker on the door of Durham Cathedral.Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall May2017. Many of these poems were written on a research trip to County Durham in April, and after a visit to the Beamish Museum , in 2017. Idioticals was published in Lallans Magazine. Military poems were inspired by a day spent at the Gordon Highlanders’ Museum (Blackhall’s son, half brother and cousins served with the regiment). Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: Comings & Goings

Title: Comings & Goings.Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S.Blackhall March 2017. Dedicated to Skye-Marie Anderson, born on St Patrick’s Day,March 17th 2017. The cover is a Japanese woodblock print by Harumura Tadao, entitled Weak Twilight, 1924. The story ‘Buonamico Buffalmacco: Peinter o Florence’ by Blackhall is due to be published in Lallans. The poem‘The Alternative Tourist Tour of Properties Owned by Nyaffs’ will feature in Pushing Out the Boat magazine, Issue 14. The poems inspired by artefacts from Aberdeen City archive materials, were written by Blackhall as part of a project involving the Mile Long Club at Aberdeen’s Art Centre venue. The Scots Owesett, ‘The Cat Oot o the Pyoke is drawn from 'Wee Windaes' a website on the National Library of Scotland, which showcases examples of Scots language from the 15th century to the present day.Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: Thursdays

Title: Thursdays.Poems & Playlet in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Morven Coutts Blackhall 11/10/1975- 4/7/2016 Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall February 2017 Dedication. This book is dedicated to the memory of the poet's son, Morven Coutts Blackhall. The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living: Marcus Tullius Cicero. Several of these poems were written in February at a Lapidus day-long event. (‘Finding your Place in the Family of Things’, a training day on Therapeutic Writing, which was co-facilitated by Sheena Blackhall & Elaine Reid at the Maggie Centre, in the grounds on Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.Some Scots owersetts of Poems by Jewish Writers are due to appear in Southlight 21. The playlet ‘The Merket Cross’ was written in response to writing workshops at Aberdeen Arts Centre run by the international playwright Peter Arnott. Siskin was inspired by the exquisite photographs by Catriona Low Of Severin Publishing of her resident garden family of the species. Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.Copyright S. Blackhall

The CDs: Oot o the Kist

Oot o the Kist is a double cd launched by Scotsoun in the Spring of 2017 SSCD 805 (1 & 2). It is a mixture of song and poetry, all performed by the poet using different instruments. (www.lallans.co.uk). There are 46 entries on the first cd and 42 on the second. Thanks are due to George T. Watt and the Comatee o the Scots Language Society for producing this CD

The Poem: Dimitri Keaw

Title: Dimitri Keaw (Pamphlet 122).Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.Cover: Dimitri, photograph by Catriona Low. Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall Jan 2017 Dedication:This book is dedicated to Philip and Vicki Watt, Fadlydyke Farm New Deer,& Catriona Low, Lower Boghead, Kintore.The cover photograph by Catriona Low, is of her tenant jackdaw Dimitri who lives with his family on her property.Some of these poems were written in response to artefacts in the Hunterian Gallery at Glasgow University. Awfu Weather was prompted by the cartoon “Awfu Weather” From The Northern Looking Glass. The Short Story, Secrets, was specifically written to perform at the Winter Solstice Poetry Event, run by Aberdeen Inspired for in the city’s Christmas Village in December 2016.

Title: Cleikum. Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall November 2016.All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall.The Scottish Border poems were written on a five day visit to the region in October 2016. Other poems were written to perform at an event organised by Scottish Pen on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer to support Writers and Publishers imprisoned in Turkey,in the Gallowgate, Aberdeen. ‘Facing the World’ tanka poems were inspired by a visit to an exhibition in Edinburgh’s Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

The Doric Gruffalo's Bairn

The Doric Gruffalo's Bairn: The Gruffalo's Child In Doric Scots from the book by Julia Donaldson, translated by Sheena Blackhall. Illustrated by Axel Scheffler £6.99. Published by Itchy Coo : 11th October 2016 ISBN: 9781785300691 Sheena Blackhall’s Doric version of The Gruffalo is now followed by The Doric Gruffalo’s Bairn. A cautionary tale about what happens when a small Gruffalo leaves the comfort of its cave and sets off into the dark wood on a wintry night, this is sure to be another big hit in the North-East and with Doric speakers wherever they bide.

The Poems : The Seely Howe

Title: The Seely Howe.Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Tomnaverie, taken from Tarland- a great place to walk. Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall October 2016: Acknowledgements: Tomnaverie stone circle dates from around 2000 BC. During the writing of this pamphlet, my son Morven’s ashes were buried in the family lair at Coull, in the Howe of Cromar, overlooked by Lochnagar and the Druid circle of Tomnaverie. To hear my poem of that name, and view the area, click on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT3sBynUyBw. The Middleton family have been buried at Coull since 1622. Coull Castle lies one field away from the graveyard. The title of this pamphlet ‘The Seely Howe’ is taken from an ancient North East rhyme: Dool, Dool tae Blelack, An Dool tae Blelack’s Heir, For sendin us fae the Seely Howe, Tae the Cauld Hill o Fare. (When the last Gordon laird of Blelack near Tarland employed a local wizard to expel the fairy folk from a sheltered glen on his estate to the Hill o Fare by Echt, they cursed him in revenge. The word seely means happy/blessed).Some of these poems and the playlet were written for a writing project entitled ‘Granite’. Other poems are to be published by Forward Poetry in three anthologies, entitled ‘Inspirational Idols’, ‘Limerick Legends’, and ‘Perfect Pets’. Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: Crossing the Bridge

Title: Crossing the Bridge.Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Detail from the sculpture Along the River During the Qingming Festival, by Zheng Chunhui.Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall August 2016.Chinese artist Zheng Chunhui recently unveiled a large wooden sculpture that measures 40 feet (12.286) meters long. Four years in the making, the tree carving is based on a famous painting called “Along the River During the Qingming Festival,” a historical holiday reserved to celebrate past ancestors that falls on the 104th day after the winter solstice. The piece is displayed in Fujon Province. Walking the Mat and The Merket Cross were written in a follow-up writing project to the recent city production, Granite. The pamphlet also contains details from The Triumph of Death by Pieter Brueghel the Elder.Most of these poems were written in the Summer of 2016, others were written under commission by the Forestry Commission of Scotland, for a project on Bennachie. Some tales have been accepted for publication by Lallans. The Scots Owersett of 'Drakestail,' a classic French faily tale published by Charles Marelle in 1888 under the title 'Bout-d'-Canard" in Affenschwanz et Cetera was published in New Writing Scotland 34, entitled Talking about Lobsters.

The Poems: Death of a Tadpole

Title: Death of a Tadpole. Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. The cover image comes from an animation called 小蝌蚪找 , "Little Tadpole Looking for Mom". It is a Chinese animation for children created from Chinese paintings. The inspiration came from the work of the artist Qi Baishi.Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall July 2016.Dedication: This book is dedicated to Jessica & Winnie Le Blackhall Acknowledgements: The Dhanakosa Sequence of poems was written on a Buddhist Creative Writing Retreat at Balquhidder, 4th June- 10th June 2016. The Casterton Sequence was written at a residential writing weekend at Casterton, Kirkby Lonsdale, organised by the poet in residence, Sally Evans, held over Beltane, the time of the ancient Celtic festival. Jane Eyre & Mr Rochester is to be published in ‘Love is in the Air’, Where were you when Kennedy died? has been accepted for publication in ‘The Life and Times’, and There was a Young Lady from Troon will appear in ‘Poetic Forms, all anthologies of Forward Poetry due out in the summer of 2016 For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. An interview in podcast form with the poet appears on: http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/podcast/sheena-blackhall Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: Around the World in Terza Rima

Acknowledgements Title: Around the World in Terza Rima Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: A copy of the hand coloured etching of Edmund Kean (1787-1833) as The Theatrical Atlas, by George CruikshankCost: £3.00 Copyright S. Blackhall, 2016 Most of this poetry pamphlet was written during a research trip to County Mayo in Ireland. Some of these poems have been published in the following magazines/ online sites: Best Scottish Poems online 2015 Poem of the moment on SPL homepage, 15-4-16 , and in Lallans. ‘Granite’ was one of four of Blackhall’s poems performed in the spectacular Granite, a sweeping, epic outdoor theatrical event, telling the story of Aberdeen, from 1863 to 2016. The production took place in the quadrangle of Marischal College, Aberdeen. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. An interview in podcast form with the poet appears on: http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/podcast/sheena-blackhall.Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: The Witnessing Pamphlet 116

Title: The Witnessing Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Odilon Redon’s lithograph loosely based on the life of St Anthony of Antioch.Cost: £3.00 Copyright S. Blackhall March 2016. Some of these poems have been published in the following magazines/ online sites: Owersetts of Vietnamese Poems- Southlight 19, April 2016. The article The Gorgonzola Cheese/ The Caledonian Antisyzygy, and the poem Bella Caledonia, 50 miles up were published online in http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/ The Lion Rampant was published online by www.scotiaextremis.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/week-eight/ Diving for Poems,Dhanakosa, Balquihidder was published online at http://keeppoemsalive.com/2016/03/10/keep-poems-alive-international-21/ For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. An interview in podcast form with the poet appears on: http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/podcast/sheena-blackhall

The Poems: Pamphlet no 115

Title: Flat Out poems, tales and Owersetts in Scots & English Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: The Flammarion engraving This is a wood engraving by an unknown artist, so named because its first documented appearance is in Camille Flammarion's 1888 book L'atmosphère: météorologie populaire ("The Atmosphere: Popular Meteorology"). The engraving has often, but erroneously, been referred to as a woodcut. It has been used to represent a supposedly medieval cosmology, including a flat earth bounded by a solid and opaque sky, or firmament, and also as a metaphor (from Wikipedia) Cost: £3.00 Copyright S. Blackhall January 2016. Some of these poems have been published on Causeway / Cabhsair: A Magazine of Irish and Scottish Writing. For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland w.ww.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection. Dedicated to Philip and Vicki Watt, Fadlydyke Farm New Deer

The Stories: (15th Collection) Cheerybye Eden

Title: Cheerybye Eden. Tales an Owersetts in Scots & English. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: The Dance of Death, by Hans Holbein. Adam & Eve, preceded by Death, playing on a beggar’s lyre or hurdy-gurdy, are driven by the angel from Eden cost:£3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall January 2016

The Poems: The Spirit Hoose

Title: The Spirit Hoose.Poems & plays in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.Cover: A Bangkok Spirit House Cost: £3.00 Copyright:S.Blackhall November 2015.Concerning the cover: http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/spirit_house.html ‘Spirit Worship is as old as mankind itself. In Thailand the phenomenon goes back to the ancient days when the Thais were beginning their slow migration from the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam to all parts of the Southeast Asian region. Spirit Worship, or Animism, was a religion by which the entire world lived at one time, and when Buddhism came to Southeast Asia, it developed side by side with the ancient spirit religion. Today, many of the old animistic beliefs are intertwined with Buddhism and some animistic practices still exist in Thailand. One of these which is practiced by every Thai is the Spirit House. The Spirit House can be seen at a prominent spot outside every business establishment in the country. It can be seen on a pedestal in front of every hotel. It dresses the corner garden area of a restaurant, the front of a bar, disco or put Spirit houses are even seen at outdoor food markets. They are built on the grounds of Buddhist temples, outside caves in the mountains, near fishing ponds in the valleys, everywhere.’ The poem ‘The Ordination of Trees’ was inspired by the BBC news item: ‘A Buddhist monk from north-east Thailand is so worried about the environment that he has been ordaining trees for 25 years. Since 1990 Phrakru Pitak Nanthakthun has been leading ceremonies to dress trees in orange robes as a way of convincing people that they should be viewed as sacred.He believes the symbolic act can help prevent the logging and deforestation that plague his home province of Nan.And people are taking notice, as Phrakru Pitak Nanthakthun has started a movement that is spreading across south-east Asia.’All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Many of these poems were written at Brantwood Lodge, Ruskin’s House in the Lake District, on a residential writing workshop led by Dr Geraldine Green & Pippa Little.

The Poems: The Doric Gruffalo

Now Available in Doric Scots. Everybody loves The Gruffalo and now you can enjoy this children's classic for the very first time in Doric Scots Translated by Sheena Blackhall and published by Itchy Coo, this new edition of The Gruffalo will delight both children and adults alike. "A moose tuik a dander ben the wid. A tod saw the moose, and the moose luiked guid." Come a wee bit farrer intae thon deep mirk wid, an fin oot fit happens fin the sleekit moose faas in wi a hoolet, a snake an a hungry gruffalo ...Publisher: Black and White Publishing ISBN: 9781785300042

The Poems & Tales: The Evil that Men do

Title: The Evil that Men Do: Limited Edition of 80 Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Children in the Snow by Hiroshi Hamaya (free photos on Wikimedia Commons)Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall August 2015. The cover photograph is a striking image of Japanese children: ‘Born and raised in Tokyo, Hiroshi Hamaya (Japanese, 1915—1999) began his career documenting that city from the air and the street, working as both an aeronautical photographer and a freelance contributor to magazines. An assignment in 1939 took him to the rural coast of the Sea of Japan, where he became interested in documenting the traditional customs of its people and the austere environment of the region…In the early 1950s he settled in the seaside town of Ōiso, where he produced books based on earlier projects. Later in his career…he made studies of landscapes found in Japan and abroad.’ The Paul Getty Museum For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. Many of these poems were written during a trip to Liverpool & Chester. Two pieces are Scots owersetts from ‘The Pillow Book’ of Sei Shōnagon (清少納言?, lesser councilor of state Sei), (c. 966–1017/1025)who was a Japanese author and a court lady who served the Empress Teishi (Sadako) around the year 1000 during the middle Heian period.There is also a Scots owersett of a victim’s account of the bombing of Hiroshima from Children of the Ashes: The People of Hiroshima after the bomb by Robert Jungk, pub by Paladin Books 1985. Thanks are due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: Flashback

Title: Flashback: Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Barn Door, Fadlydyke Farm, July 2015. Photo by Will House (BA Columbia College, Chicago, Film & Video, 2005) (flickr.com/photos/karloff)Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall July 2015. In April 1906, her grandmother’s sister, Patricia Philip, and her new husband Arthur Simpson (New Deer), passed Ellis Island in Upper New York Bay in the Port of New York and New Jersey, United States. This was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States as the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. Patricia’s great grandson Will House took a photo of the barn door at Fadlydyke Farm in July 2015 during a family reunion at New Deer, hosted by Patricia’s nephew, Philip Watt, and his wife Vicki.Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall.An interview in podcast form with the poet appears on: http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/podcast/sheena-blackhall Many of these poems were written during a trip to Dublin. The poem Flashback was written during a stay at Fadlydyke Farm, New Deer. Two poems appear in the anthology White Wings of Delight, Malfranteaux Concepts 2015

The Poems: The Cloud Collector

The Poems: The Cloud Collector.Poems & Tale in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Copyright: S. Blackhall June 2015. The cover is a copy of a work made from a commercial plaster reproduction of the death mask of the French Emperor Napoleon by Rene Magritte. Magritte painted at least five of these casts, each with sky and clouds. Discussing the works, the artist’s friend the Surrealist poet Paul Nougé suggested an association between death, dreams and the depth of the sky. He commented: ‘a patch of sky traversed by clouds and dreams [can] transfigure the very face of death in a totally unexpected way’. (Tate Gallery). To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, two large re-enactments were organized to relive one of the greatest moments of recent European history. On June 21st 2015, there was a procession of the French and Allied cavalry in Waterloo and Braine-l’Alleud. Flowers were placed at the St Etienne of Braine l’Alleud Church and the Royal Chapel of Waterloo. For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland ww.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. The poem Shakespeare will be published in a Forward Poetry Anthology The tale ‘The Burnin Buss’, is published in Lallans 86. Many of these poems were written during a week’s Residential Writing Course at the Triratna Centre, Dhanakosa, Balquhidder. (5 June to 12 June) Wolf At The Door: Rewilding the Human Space - a writing course led by Ananda and Vishvantara with Dharmavadana using the practice of writing, ritual, and group meditation. Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection.

The Poems: The Wound Man

Title: The Wound Man (Pamphlet 110):Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: The Wound Man: a mediaeval medical illustration.(The Wellcome Library online, an example from MS.29 ) Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall May 2015. Dedication:This book is dedicated to Philip and Vicki Watt, Fadlydyke Farm New Deer. Concerning the cover: Mediaeval anatomy works often contained illustrations. The Wound Man shows all the injuries that a body might sustain. Captions describe the types of injuries, such as whether an arrow has embedded itself in a muscle or shot right through. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. The poem Breakfast was shortlisted in the Irish Ó Bhéal’s 2nd annual competition and appears in Five Words Vol VIII. Many of these poems were written during a week in Wales, others were written over a residential drama workshop weekend run by WYTAS Interchange, Livingston. Others have been published in Lallans 86 and Pushing out the boat; Issue 13. Butterfly was inspired by the paper sculpture ‘Free to Fly’ and the May Festival song was written to celebrate the many events in Aberdeen University’s May programme. Journey to the Interior appears on Book Trust Scotland’s website ‘Journeys’.

The Translations: Scottish Spleen

Title: Scottish Spleen.Baudelaire in Scots(Anthology) published by Tapsalteerie, Bognamoon, Craigievar, Alford, Aberdeenshire AB33 8LX www.tapsalteerie.co.uk ISBN:9780-9926631-3-1. Blackhall usually includes Scots 'owersetts'(translations) in her poetry collections.This anthology was produced with the assistance of the Andrew Tannahill Fund for the Furtherance of Scottish Literature.Edited by James W Underhill, Tom Hubbard & Stewart Sanderson.Featuring translations by Sheena Blackhall, Robert R Calder, Tom Hubbard, J Derrick McClure, Walter Perrie, James Robertson, James W Underhill, Christie Williamson, Rab Wilson

The Plays

‘Deein Fine’ was acted by Fleeman Productions in January 2013. The play is set in St Nicholas Kirkyard and an unnamed Aberdeen Hospice. The one act play “Nicht Shades” (a runner-up in the Barron Prize for Doric Drama) was adapted from the pageant, written by Sheena Blackhall and Les Wheeler. Sheena Blackhall’s solo plays include two commissioned by Gordon Menzies Productions for BBC Education’s ‘Around Scotland’, ‘A Tongue in yer Heid’, televised in Jan/Feb 1995. The plays were ‘The Broken Hairt’ and ‘The Nicht Bus.’ She has also written several monologues: ‘Simmer Interlude’ (Wittgenstein’s Web, GKB Enterprises, 1996), The Twilight Zone (Reets, Keith Murray Publications 1991) and ‘Swimming in the Dark’ (The Bonsai Grower GKB Enterprises 1998)

The Poems: Piano Lesson

Title: Piano Lesson.Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: The frontispiece of Andrea Antico’s Frottole intabulate da sonare organi libro primo (1517) features a woodcut of a player at a harpsichord, a singer holding a score, and a monkey holding a lute Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall February 2015. Acknowledgements; Meditation on a Year Gone by will appear in the Anthology ‘A Year Gone by’ pub Forward Poetry April 2015 . The Scots owersetts of Korean poems will appear in the magazine Southlight . Some of the owersetts in Scots of pieces by Baudelaire will be published in Scottish Spleen. Other poems are online at Eiks an Eyns: the Lallans website. The poem Flodden has been accepted for a forthcoming Lallans issue. The Page was written for an upcoming Aberdeen City Anthology, inspired by the #Write City project. Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection. My late brother, Ian Middleton, was an accomplished church organist and clavichord player, and frequently gave recitals in São Paulo, Brazil, where he settled and died. He enjoyed his piano lessons rather more than I did. He suffered from Perthes Hip joint disease as a child and spent a year strapped to his bed to stretch the affected limb. Doctors at that time advised against strong physical activities for sufferers. He bought and exported a clavichord to Brazil, where he performed mainly Baroque and Classical music.

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.

The Poems: Mr Charon's Ferry

Title: Mr Charon’s Ferry:Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Loch Voil: Photo by Amoghavira Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall November 2014. For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland ww.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Thanks are extended to Amoghavira for permission to use his photograph of Loch Voil, Balquidder, as the cover for this pamphlet. A Buddhist order member, he now lives in the village of Callander, about 15 miles from Dhanakosa.. Some of the Gaelic poems in this collection will feature in the Winter edition of Causeway / Cabhsair: A Magazine of Irish and Scottish Writing.

An Inside Job: The Poems

Title: An Inside Job. Pamphlet no 106 Poems in Scots & English Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.Cover: MRI scan of the poet’s head Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall October 2014. Some of these poems were written as the result of a week’s research in Lancashire & the Lake District. Thanks must be given to Stefanie C. Biehl of the School of Psychology, William Guild Building, King's College University of Aberdeen for releasing the cover photo of the MRI scan (taken as part of a research programme). Thanks are also due to the ongoing support and encouragement of Les Wheeler, in agreeing to publish this collection. Other poems were written during Poetic Aberdeen: Creative Writing Workshops led by Dr Adam Hanna. The poem Lapidus was written for the group’s online magazine Autumn issue. Lapidus promotes writing and words for wellbeing through its work with other organisations and support of its members who are interested in, or working with others to encourage, the use of writing for health and wellbeing. (www.lapidus.org.uk). Three Doric poems were written specially for the Gallowgate Doric Festival 2014, performed at St Margaret’s Episcopal church. The tale, Fair Game, will appear in the Winter edition of the magazine Lallans.

Sparrows' Footsteps: Poems on a Trip to the Past

Sparrows’ Footsteps Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Paul Nash: The Menin Road(Wikipedia Commons)Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall August 2014. This book is dedicated to the memory of Pte William Middleton, 6th Gordon Highlanders, 266834 killed 9/4/17 on the first day of the battle of Arras. Buried in the Highlander Cemetary Rollincourt, Plot 1 Row A Grave 15, and his brother Pte John Middleton, 7th Gordon Highlanders, 2974, Le Touret Memorial Panel 39-41. After only 47 days on French soil, John was killed in a road by the battlefield. They were my father’s paternal cousins, from Tarland. His mother’s maiden name was also Middleton. Three of his maternal cousins, who were an Aboyne branch of Deeside Middletons, were also killed.(Charles Middleton,Pte 422290, 8th btn Manitoba Regiment, born Birse, died 14/6/1916, buried Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium). His father John ('Alberta, Golf Road, Aboyne) had 7 sons in WW1. 3 were killed. On August 4th 2014, 100 years to the day of the outbreak of ww1, I set foot in Belgium for a trip to the battlefields and cemeteries of the region. The information surrounding the poems is gleaned from the Belgian Battlefield Guide, local guide books, and the web. All of the poems were written during this time. Thanks are due to Les Wheeler for his continued encouragement and support in agreeing to publish this little pamphlet.  

The Stories: Scottish Urban Myths and Ancient Legends (Grace Banks & Sheena Blackhall)

Scottish Urban Myths and Ancient Legends (Urban Legends) Paperback – January 1, 2015 by Sheena Blackhall (Author), Grace Banks (Author); Pub. The History Press.Monsters, lunatics, vampires, werewolves, evil dolls, and suicide dogs, stones entombing bodies, faces appearing in walls, curses, and meetings with the devil—all this and more are contained within this book of Scottish urban legends. Now, for the first time, folklorists and storytellers Grace Banks and Sheena Blackhall explore these intriguing tales. Folklore embeds itself into a local community, often to the extent that some people believe all manner of mysteries and take them as fact. Whether they’re stories passed around the school playground, through the internet, or 'round a flickering campfire, urban legends are everywhere. Scottish Urban Legends is a quirky and downright spooky ride into the heart of Celtic folklore.

The Poems: The Gargoyle Man

The Gargoyle Man. Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: The Green Man from Le Mans Cathedral in France, c. 1240 Cost: £3.00. Copyright: S. Blackhall July 2014. For more information on other publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the National Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Many of these poems were written on retreat during a creative writing week run by Ratnadevi, Linda France and Larry Butler at Dhanakosa, Balquidder. Others were the result of a week’s research in the Cotswolds, visiting Stratford on Avon, Bath, and surrounding areas.

The Poems: The Housewife's Dream

Title: The Housewife’s Dream. Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: I and the Village, Marc Chagall, painted in 1911 Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall 2014 Two of these poems were inspired by a writing session led by Dr Adam Hanna in Aberdeen City Council’s Townhouse. Others were written in response to paintings in the 80th Aberdeen Artists' Exhibition. In May 2014 Blackhall became Patron of Reading at Kaimhill Primary School in Aberdeen.The children’s tales at the end of the book were written as challenges set by the pupils providing 4 words, to be incorporated eg Hungary, tiger, cold, girl, with the exception of one tale written by her son, Ross Blackhall.Thanks are due to Les Wheeler for his continued encouragement and support in agreeing to publish this little pamphlet (the 103rd poetry volume). For more information on other publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the National Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com.  

The Poems: The Space Between: New and Selected Poems

The Space Between: New and Selected Poems, by Sheena Blackhall, 2014 ISBN 978-1-85752-005-7 www.abdn.ac.uk/riiss/publications/authored-publications-110.php (The website of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies, University of Aberdeen.) Published by Aberdeen University Press, Cover Image, Emily Carr (1871-1945) ‘Shoreline’1936, oil on canvas, c McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Dedicated to Sir C.Duncan Rice for his support and encouragement of poetry in the North East. This book was launched at Aberdeen University’s May Festival. It was edited and selected by Alan Spence, Professor in Creative Writing, University of Aberdeen, with the assistance of Professor Cairns Craig, Dr Helen Lynch, and Dr Adam Hanna. Detailed Description Blackhall, Sheena (2014) The Space Between: New and Selected Poems, Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, pp.153 + xiv. ISBN: 978-1-85752-005-7 ‘Sheena Blackhall is probably the most prolific poet in Scotland, and one of the most rarely talented. She is the true voice of the North East, a sophisticated, engaged, technically gifted writer who moves with ease through different modes and registers. She’s at home with traditional ballad forms and Buddhist meditations, with collage and cut-up and the found poem – lyrical and bawdy and profoundly funny.’ – Alan Spence ‘Sheena Blackhall has the lyric voice of the early MacDiarmid and prime of William Soutar, and knows unerringly how to send that couthy, earthy tongue to the furthest of stars. She combines tradition and modern wit, ancient knowledge with feminine intuition, personal defiance and spirit, a grasp of language topped up with thorough scholarship.’ – Joy Hendry

The Poems: Biting Dust

Biting Dust: Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Image from The Droll Dreams of Pantagruel by François Desprez - (1565)Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall 2014. Thanks are due to Les Wheeler for his continued encouragement and support in agreeing to publish this little pamphlet. For more information on other publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the National Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Summer of Love is due to be published in the following: Forward Poetry anthology, Essence of Love, July 2014. May 2014 (Pamphlet no 101)

The Bairn Books

Jessie the Jumbo is available now online, free to download on Smashwords.Jessie the Jumbo is a selection of tales written originally in English for the hugely popular ‘Nickety Nackety’ children’s programme which was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland and produced by Frieda Morrison. It drew fan mail letters from children all over the UK, and quite a few adults too, lorry drivers and tractor men amongst them. The format was trialled in Edinburgh nursery settings by Frieda Morrison to assess the reaction from the intended audience. A cast of the finest actors and actresses in Scotland dramatized the stories and brought the scripts to life. The selection of tales in Jessie the Jumbo, drawn from the Nickety Nackety Collection are those written by Sheena Blackhall, and here reset in Scots. The book will be featured on www.ScotsLanguageRadio.com. Frieda Morrison was the first mentor of this much loved North East children’s writer, and commissioned her earliest children’s tales

The Poems: The Mongolian Spot

Title: The Mongolian Spot.Poems & in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics,55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall 2014 Cover: Mongolian Musician This is a file from the Wikipedia Commons. Information from its description page is shown here:Sambuugiin Pürevjav of Altai Khairkhan (an overtone singing ensemble from Mongolia) playing a morin khuur near Centre Georges Pompidou in 2005.Author : Eric PouhierDate : Octob. 2005 This book is dedicated to Philip & Vicki Watt,Fadlydyke Farm, New Deer. Some of these poems have previously been published on www.poemhunter.com. Other pieces will be published by Forward Poetry in May, 2014, in the following publications: Light up the Dark, Darkest before the Dawn, and Candlelit Thoughts. The extract ‘Fyvie’ was taken from a Doric play written by Les Wheeler and Sheena Blackhall. The poems Smack Heid Debbie and The Warld Accordin tae the Rev Angus Macstrewn were taken from a prizewinning play ‘Nichtshades’ also written by Blackhall & Wheeler. The Commonwealth was written as part of a project on the Aberdeen Reading Bus funded by Fairer Scotland. The Great Tapestry of Scotland was written to perform at an event in Aberdeen’s Tunnels, organized by the National Collective, (artists and creative for Scottish Independence). Several poems were inspired by works in the Scottish National Galleries of Scotland, one of which was short listed in the Inspired? Get Writing! 2014 competition. The House of the Russian Dolls was Blackhall’s response to the Scottish Book Trust’s general invitation for people to write a story about the meaning of home.

The Poems: Hare's Foot: A Poet's Notebook

The Poems: Hare’s Foot: A Poet’s Notebook : Pamphlet no 99 Poems & Tales in Scots & English, printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen, Cost: £3.00 pub 2014. Some of the stories are Blackhall’s own versions of travellers’ tales learned from the late Stanley Robertson. Many of the ‘snippits’ of folk lore and UFO sightings were encountered by the poet whilst researching an upcoming book on urban myths and legends. Some inspired poems, others did not. Some of these poems are to be found on www.poemhunter.com.

The Poems: Pirrins and Magnus

The Poems: Pirrins and Magnus: Pamphlet no 98: Poems & Tales in Scots & English, Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen, Cost: £3.00 pub 2014. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. The first section of these poems was inspired by material from the Terezin (Theresienstadt), concentration camp. About 5,000 drawings survived, created by the 15,000 children who passed through there to the death camps, most dying in Auschwitz in the Summer-Autumn of 1944. The drawings feature in the book of Jewish Art Treasures from Prague:The State Jewish Museum in Prague and its collections, Lund Humphries, (London) in Association with the Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester. Edited, with a foreword by Professor C.R. Dodwell, LittD FBA. Some of these poems have been, or are about to be, published in the following: Ever Watchful: Forward Poetry, Vice Verses ( Jan 2014). There is Another Xmas, Malfranteaux Concepts, Christmas (1913). Highland Cow was broadcast on Mooney Goes Wild, Raidió Teilifís Éireann,. The tale Hide an Seek was published in the Autumn issue of Northwords

The Stories: Aberdeenshire Folk Tales

Aberdeenshire Folk Tales By Grace Banks & Sheena Blackhall, Pub by The History Press, 2013 ISBN: 9780752497587. The folklore of the North East provides a rich tapestry for the tales within; from Celtic and Pictish origins meet witches, selkies, smugglers, fairies, monsters, despicable rogues, riddles and heroes. Tragic events, spellbinding characters, humour, romance and clever minds are bound together by two well-established storytellers living and working in the city and shire of Aberdeen. Some of the tales in this collection are based on historical fact while others are embedded in myth and legend. All the stories are set against the backdrop of this lovely and varied landscape. Sheena and Grace have both been inspired in their storytelling and singing by the traveller, raconteur and balladeer, Stanley Robertson. - See more at: http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/index.php/aberdeenshire-folk-tales.html#sthash.hKbnWtDU.dpuf

The Poems: Shards

Title: Shards. Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Based on The Door to Freedom by Rene Magritte, 1936. Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall 2013. For more information on other publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the National Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. Some of these poems have previously been published on www.poemhunter.com. ‘They Feared’ will appear in November published by Rain Poetry Books (Keith Murray). ‘A Royal Baby’ will feature in New Beginnings by Forward Poetry, 2014. ‘A Young Iguana’ will be published in Animal Antics by Forward Poetry 2014. ‘The Inconstant Lover’ will appear in Poetry Obsessions by Forward Poetry, also in 2014. ‘Screivin in Scots’ will be published in Lallans 83. ‘The Wall’ was the winning entry announced at the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival in Glasgow on 19th October2013. (Bipolar Scotland ran a short story competition on the theme of ‘First Love.’) ‘Chardonnay’ and ‘The Rowie Song’ were specially written as performance pieces to celebrate Aberdeen Arts Centre 50th anniversary in October 2013, at a civic reception in Aberdeen’s Town House. ‘The Yowes an the Tortoises’ is a Scots owersett of a traditional Nigerian tale told by a parent on an Aberdeen Reading Bus Project. The current project, Global Blethers, is funded by the Fairer Scotland Fund.

The Poems: The Aye-Aye

Title: The Aye-Aye, Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.Cover:Aye-Aye (from the www).Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall 2013.The first poems in this pamphlet were written in response to mysterious paper sculptures appearing in Scotland: Catriona Low, publisher of Severin Books, is constantly on their trail. This pamphlet is dedicated to her for alerting me to each new discovery. http://severinbooks.blogspot.co.uk/ Most of the poems were written during the summer of 2013, during stays on Jersey and St Malo. The Dream o the Restless Bairnickie is published in ‘Pushing Out the Boat, Issue 12’. Thank You Spring will feature in ‘Spirit of Spring’, a Forward Press Anthology due out in October. Memorial Day & Birthday are due to appear in ‘Shadows’, a Malfranteaux Concepts publication compiled by Keith Murray. A Puckle Doric Wirds I like and Fitbaa were written for inclusion in a forthcoming anthology compiled by Mark Pithie for a 2013 Doric Festival event. The Japanese tanka owersetts appeared in Southlight magazine. Thanks are due to Les Wheeler for his continued encouragement and support in agreeing to publish this little pamphlet. Re. The Cro-Magnon Poem My half brother, Charles Middleton Ritchie, died in Canada within a year or so of our first meeting. My younger brother, Ian Middleton, predeceased him. A woman can only access paternal DNA via a close male relative and I was delighted that my nephew Scott Ritchie, in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, agreed to submit a sample for analysis. The result was as follows:

The male line of our family DNA carries the mutation M343. The paternal haplotype is R1b. Haplogroup R is thought to have appeared some 30,000 years ago in Central Asia and is widely spread all over the world. The mutation M343 is linked to one of the subclades of Haplogroup R called R1b which is thought to have been part of the recolonisation of Europe following the Last Glacial Maximum. The R1b expansion was closely linked to the spreading of the Indo-European languages. This makes us direct descendants of the Cro Magnon people, the modern humans who painted the "Lascaux Cave" in Dordogne in the South of France. These paintings can be regarded both as a testimony of the artistic skills of our ancestors but also as a sketch book of their life during the last glacial age. R1b can be found in more than 80% of the population in England, France and Spain. In western Ireland, R1b is found in nearly 100% of the population.

The Poems: Goosebumps for Beginners

Goosebumps for Beginners:Poems & tales in Scots & English.by Sheena Blackhall Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen Cost: £3.00Cover: Image of Geese ( in the Public Domain) by Tom Kelly, US Fish and Wildlife Service Copyright: S. Blackhall 201 3For more information on other publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the National Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html). The Trouble with War has been selected for publication in The World at War- Poems from the Battlefield in September 2013 (Forward Poetry). Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Mother has been selected for publication by Forward Poetry in the anthology A Mother to Me, due for publication in September 2013 Valentine Card has been accepted for publication by Forward Poetry in the Anthology Endless Love- Heart’s Desire, due out Sept 2013. A Day to Remember has been accepted for publication in ‘A Day in Time’, Forward Poetry, due out in September 2013.

Most of these poems were written in June (22nd-28th) 2013 on retreat at Dhanakosa, Balquhidder. The English poems will eventually be published on http://www.poemhunter.com/sheena-blackhall. Thanks are due to Les Wheeler for his continued encouragement and support in agreeing to publish this little pamphlet.

The Poems: Grey Matter

Grey Matter:Poems & tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen Cost: £3.00 This book is dedicated to Les & Sheila Wheeler.Some of the poems are included in Volume 4 of Canvases, published by Rain Poetry Books. The story Destiny Stone appeared on the Scottish Book Trust feature ‘Treasures’. Several poems were inspired by the annual Aberdeen Artists’ Exhibition, and the St Andrew’s Song was written for ‘Families First’, an event organised for disadvantaged families in St Andrews. Various poems have already been published on http://www.poemhunter.com/sheena-blackhall. The cover photograph of Blackhall was taken at the Psychology Department of Aberdeen University, during a research project session conducted there.

The Poems: Walking in Blake's Garden

Walking in Blake’s Garden: Poems in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall. Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire.Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Samuel Palmer: Early Morning. Cost: £3.00.Copyright: S. Blackhall 2013 For more information on other publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit the on-line catalogue of the National Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. Some of these poems have previously been published on www.poemhunter.com. Most of them were written during the spring of 2013, on a visit to Derbyshire. Queen Mary, jyled was prompted by a visit to Chatsworth, one of her many places of imprisonment. The Village of Eyam was the result of an exploration of a scene of death from the bubonic plague in 1665-1666. In the book ‘Eyam Plague 1665-1666’ by John Clifford ISBN O-9544666-0-8 pub 2003, the author refers to a suggested ‘cure’ at the time for the disease, by attaching a live chicken with its anus over the patient’s bubo, the warmth being thought useful in drawing out the poison. He goes on to observe that traces of aureomycin, a drug now used as part of a cure for the plague, were found in the soil of Vietnam where poultry continually ingest the earth as grits, to aid defecation. Meltwater, Jock Thamson’s Bairns in the Ship of Charon, Shellyman and Fear-Bhata were all inspired by Waterlines, an artistic partnership of Will Maclean and Marian Leven. The exhibition featured items from the Special Collections and Museums at the University of Aberdeen. In the production of Waterlines, they created a new sculptured marker in the landscape that is dominated by the ambitious Sir Duncan Rice Library. The Short Story Help! was written for the event Inventions and Experiments from Scotland, 9/5/2013, part of the Children’s programme in Aberdeen University’s May Festival. Stone Age Orcadians was written during a trip to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the Scots poems will be published in the anthology Dialect Poetry ISBN 978-1-906845-47-6 due out in Autumn 2013.

The Poems: In Faldy's Wood

In Faldy’s Wood:Poems & Tales in Scots & English, Published by Lochlands, Maud, Aberdeenshire, Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen.Cost: £3.00 Copyright: S. Blackhall 2013. This book is dedicated to Philip & Vicki Watt and family, Fadlydyke Farm, New Deer. The poem Pine will appear in the anthology Into the Forest - A Celtic Alphabet of Tree Poems to be published by Saraband Books in autumn 2013, edited by Mandy Haggith. The 3 Flash Fiction tales were published in Northwords Now in 2012. Poems on the Scottish inventions and inventors were written as part of a school Science project for the Reading Bus. The poem for Dr George Philp appeared in The Scotsman. Thanks are due to Les Wheeler for his continued encouragement and support in agreeing to publish this little pamphlet.

The Poems: A Nest of Tongues

The Poems: A Nest of Tongues: Poems & Story in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Pub by Malfranteaux Concepts Aberdeen ISBN : 978 1 870978 91 0. Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. Cover: Pandemonium, August 1914: by George Grosz (archival sources)Cost: £4.00. The cover image is a drawing by the German artist George Grosz (1893-1959) who considered himself a propagandist of the social revolution. He not only depicted victims of the catastrophe of the First World War - the disabled, crippled, and mutilated - he also portrayed the collapse of capitalist society and its values. His wartime line drawings show him to be a master of caricature. What the Dickens is due to be published in ‘Down Memory Lane’, an anthology by Forward Poetry, Peterborough in Winter 2012. Some of these poems have already been published on http://www.poemhunter.com/sheena-blackhall. Many were written during an Autumn trip to Holland and the Rhine. Auld Yowe has been accepted by Lallans mag for issue 81.'Willie' will be published in the Cromar Echo, Tarland.