Saturday 28 November 2015

Shetland poetry workshop with Jen Hadfield




Standing Stone

maybe a compass
maybe a gnomon
maybe a signpost
for bee-eaters, swifts

Short poems can be like a meditation: helping us focus on where we're at right now, and on what's going on around us. They also make good Christmas cards!

We'll spend the afternoon reading, listening, looking and playing with words in a focussed but informal atmosphere. New and more confident poets all welcome. Bring outdoor gear for optional landscape writing.

2-5.30, Saturday 5th December
venue t.b.c (probably Burra)
16-yrs and up, 12 max.

£20 for the afternoon


jenhadfield@btinternet.com

Sunday 15 November 2015

This is what is in the ocean 15/11/15

















Tonnes of bladderwrack washed up onto my local beach after Storm Abigail, full of smithereened plastic. In 40mph winds, I struggled along to another beach to watch the waves. I found the carcass of a young swan, a seal, and an unidentified marine mammal, perhaps a porpoise. Its skin was flensed away, and the blubber beneath was a mosaic of little chips of broken plastic. It's almost impossible to get your head around how much of this stuff is out there, chugging around the gyres like a great oceanic washing machine. We've got to sort this.

Wednesday 29 April 2015

New Shop on Etsy

The 'Dominant Species' limpets are now available to buy in my Etsy shop.

These ceramic limpet sculptures come from my exhibition 'The Dominant Species' in the Shetland Museum and Archives. Shape, thickness and density vary as the limpets are all made by hand using a thumb-pot method. Each limpet comes with a rudimentary LED light. Contact me for images of individual limpets so you can handpick your colony of glowing marine gastropods. They're keen to colonise new territory!

https://www.facebook.com/TheDominantSpecies



Tuesday 18 November 2014

Alex Salmond's Farewell Speech

'When Scotland was alive with ideas and debate, all Labour could demonstrate was timidity and fear'. Regardless of your feelings about Salmond, it's worth watching at least the first 9 minutes of his farewell speech. Imagine, a politician whose own party aren't mortified by him. Actually, anyone who's sick of Westminster should watch or listen to the whole thing. Any of the folk who couldn't understand why Scots might even WANT to become independent should watch the whole thing.

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship





I'm really grateful to have been appointed the 2014 Dr Gavin Wallace Fellow hosted by Moniack Mhor. All the information about the fellowship and my planned project is here, but expect some posts about flotsam and jetsam. I start in December. Can't wait.

Monday 27 October 2014

Shipping AIS Map



this interactive map shows real time shipping around Shetland. You can click on the boats and see where they're headed and what they're up to. Wherever we live is the centre.

Scroll down to Shipping AIS Map


Friday 26 September 2014

Reading at Aye Write! next week



with Don Paterson, Sam Willetts and McGuire.

Mitchell Library, Wed 1st October

6-7, free.


book on 0141 287 2951 or ayewrite@glasgowlife.org.uk