Valerie Gillies
Publications
"all the time I was there I was walking in your poem"
Anne Matheson, Biggar Public Art
"Gillies' poetry shows a masterly fluency with form kept taut by its over-riding themes... this is polyglot poetry, yet it has a remarkably unbookish and outdoors feel."
S B Kelly, Scotland on Sunday
Valerie Gillies' poetry collections include The Ringing Rock (1995) and The Lightning Tree (2002). She is a regular contributor to major anthologies such as The Faber Book of Scottish Poetry. Valerie has won the Eric Gregory Award for Poetry and three Scottish Arts Council book Awards.
Her work includes many collaborative projects with visual artists and musicians, notably in a series of poem-inscriptions with different sculptors at sites in Southern Scotland. The book Men and Beasts: wild men and tame animals of Scotland (2000), together with the touring exhibition of the same name, was the result of a collaboration with the photographer Rebecca Marr.
"A poet of unusual technical ability"
Shirley Toulson, British Book News
"I like the way in which these poems are rooted in the elemental world... the craft and truth are one."
Robert Nye, The Times
"Gillies writes of place, history, landscape, myth and legend. The Lightning Tree will enhance her reputation... Its language is musical, energetic, approachable; its subject-matter, life enhancing and invigorating; its themes fundamental and provocative."
Douglas Lipton, Northwords
Where to Buy
Copies of Valerie's books are available to buy from:
The Scottish Poetry Library Bookshop
Collections of Poetry
| 2009 | The Spring Teller, Luath | |
| 2002 | The Lightning Tree, Polygon available from Scottish Poetry Library | |
| 2000 | Men and Beasts, with photographer Rebecca Marr, Luath Press (non-fiction and poetry) | |
| 1998 | St Kilda Waulking Song, artist's book with Will Maclean, Morning Star | |
| 1995 | The Ringing Rock, Scottish Cultural Press available from Scottish Poetry Library | |
| 1992 | Poeti della Scozia Contemporanea, Supernova, Venezia [translation] | |
| 1990 | The Jordanstone Folio, with 12 artists, Tay press | |
| 1990 | The Chanter's Tune, Canongate available from Scottish Poetry Library | |
| 1989 | The Tweed Journey, Canongate | |
| 1987 | Leopardi: A Scottis Quair, Edinburgh University Press [translation] | |
| 1984 | Bed of Stone, Canongate, available from Scottish Poetry Library | |
| 1977 | Each Bright Eye, Canongate, available from Scottish Poetry Library | |
| 1975 | Poetry Introduction 3, Faber | |
| 1971 | Trio, New Rivers Press, New York |
Contributions to Anthologies, selected
| 2006 | The New Minstels of the Scottish Borders, Deerpark Press |
| 2005 | Tweed Rivers, Platform Press, Luath Press |
| 2002 | Scottish Literature in the Twentieth Century, Scottish Cultural Press |
| 2002 | The Faber Book of Twentieth Century Scottish Poetry, Faber |
| 2000 | Love for Love and Atoms of Delight, pocketbooks |
| 2000 | The Jewel Box CD, Scottish Poetry Library |
| 1998 | Homage to the Carmina Gadelica, Morning star |