“All About the Surface is a collection of wise and witty poems, all of which stand at the intersection of things – the shore and the cold loch, the mountain-top and the sky, the skin and the body and soul beneath. Bright in character and rich in language, this wonderful debut collection expertly examines fragments of evidence of the inner workings of the world.”
(Andy Jackson, poet and editor)
I write in English and Dundonian-Scots, which is a new and fine freedom for somebody who grew up speakin ane o the twa at hame and the other one at school. My second poetry collection, Native River, is due out in March 2026 with Seahorse Publications.
To read some of my poems published online:
How to pick an apple Bioregioning Tayside’s Imaginarium
Grief moves like a glacier Consilience Issue 20
My face won’t be found in folk still to come Raising the Fifth
Kittiwake Briefly Write
Destiny o Stane New Boots and Pantisocracies
Evolved for flicht, but no much and Chap it aff Eemis Stane Issue 3
Literary magazine publications include Poetry Scotland, The Poets’ Republic, The Alchemy Spoon, Dreich, Spelt Magazine, Obsessed With Pipework and Pushing Out the Boat.
Anthologies: Perthshire 101, Glimmer and Glisk
Poems on Public Art is a project that combines a love of ekphrastic poetry with my habit of dragging my husband to look at art whenever we’re on our travels.
Here you’ll find poetry by me and guest poets which is inspired by (but not necessarily about) artwork, across the world, that can be viewed without payment. Roddy Mathieson’s 2000 sculpture (above) is called Sanctuary and can be found at Lochephort on the island of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. It was the artwork that inspired the project and is still one of my favourite pieces of public sculpture.
Karen Macfarlane 