Valerie Gillies
Born1948
Alberta, Canada
OccupationPoet, radio and television writer
Notable works'Tweed Journey
Each Bright Eye
The Ringing Rock
The Lightning Tree
Website
valeriegillies.com

Valerie Gillies (born 1948) is a Canadian-born poet who grew up in Scotland. She was the second Edinburgh Makar (Edinburgh's poet laureate) from 2005 to 2008.[1] Gillies has written for literary and arts reviews, the theatre, and BBC radio and television, and has worked with visual artists and musicians.[2] She has also taught creative writing extensively.[3]

Life and education

Gillies was born in Alberta, Canada, but grew up in southern Scotland.[1] She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of Edinburgh.[4] She also studied traditional Sanskrit dramas in Mysore, India.[5]

She lives in Edinburgh and is married to William Gillies, a Celtic scholar, with whom she has had three children: two daughters and a son.[6]

Career

As well as publishing collections of poetry and appearing in various Faber and Penguin anthologies. In 1992, Gillies was appointed Writer in Residence for Midlothian and East Lothian[2] in a scheme promoted by the two districts that was supported by the Scottish Arts Council.[7] Her other residencies include The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, various district libraries and a large psychiatric hospital.

She was poet laureate ad vitam of the Trimontium Trust in 2002[5] and the second Edinburgh Makar (Edinburgh's poet laureate) from 2005 to 2008.[1]

In 2005, Gillies received a Creative Scotland Award to write The Spring Teller (2009), a book of poems inspired by Scotland's wells and springs.[8]

She spent 2009–10 and 2013–14 researching and writing as an associate of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University.[9]

Bibliography

Collections of poetry

  • The Cream of the Well: New and Selected Poems (2015)
  • The Spring Teller, Luath (2009)
  • The Lightning Tree, Polygon (2002)
  • Men and Beasts, with photographer Rebecca Marr, Luath Press (non-fiction and poetry) (2000)
  • St Kilda Waulking Song, artist's book with Will Maclean, Morning Star (1998)
  • The Ringing Rock, Scottish Cultural Press (1995)
  • Poeti della Scozia Contemporanea, Supernova, Venezia [translation] (1992)
  • The Jordanstone Folio, with 12 artists, Tay Press (1990)
  • The Chanter's Tune, Canongate (1990)
  • The Tweed Journey, Canongate (1989)
  • Leopardi: A Scottis Quair, Edinburgh University Press [translation] (1987)
  • Bed of Stone, Canongate (1984)
  • Each Bright Eye, Canongate (1977)
  • Poetry Introduction 3, Faber (1975)
  • Trio, New Rivers Press, New York (1971)

Contributions to anthologies, selected

  • The New Minstrels of the Scottish Borders, Deerpark Press (2006)
  • Tweed Rivers, Platform Press and Luath Press (2005)
  • Scottish Literature in the Twentieth Century, Scottish Cultural Press (2002)
  • The Faber Book of Twentieth Century Scottish Poetry, Faber (2002)
  • Love for Love, Pocketbooks (2000)
  • Atoms of Delight, Pocketbooks (2000)
  • The Jewel Box CD, Scottish Poetry Library (2000)
  • Homage to the Carmina Gadelica, Morning Star (1998)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Valerie Gillies | Poetry". Scottish Poetry Library. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  2. 1 2 "New Writer is Chosen". The Lothian Times. 11 January 1992.
  3. ↑ "Valerie Gillies - Literature". literature.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  4. ↑ "Calling aspiring writers and poets". The University of Edinburgh Bulletin. 6 December 1995.
  5. 1 2 "Writer Profile: Valerie Gillies". The Eildon Tree (8). Autumn 2002.
  6. ↑ "Valerie Gillies Poetry". ValerieGillies.com. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  7. ↑ "Valerie is District's Writer-in-Residence". The Advertiser. 2 January 1992.
  8. ↑ "The Spring Teller". Scottish PEN. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  9. ↑ "Valerie Gillies". The Royal Literary Fund. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
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