The FREE literary magazine of the North Northwords Now Issue 35, Spring 2018 Land, water and northern skies DONALD S MURRAY digs light from dark peat, LYDIA HARRIS sees moons over Westray, ANNA LEVIN goes with the flow, STEPHEN KEELER learns Swedish Plus Tuath supplement of new Gaelic writing, Short Stories, Poems, Articles and Reviews EDITORIAL s befits its links to the magnetism of the Contents whole planet, ‘north’ is a word with powerful Aattractions. Whether for those who feel they 3 A Silver Year for Moniack Mhor live distant from it, or people who consider themselves 4 Magnie’s Boat - Story by Hannah Nicholson northern, there’s a sense of something wider and further; beyond immediate grasp, but worth striving 5 Poem by Maggie Wallis to approach. Journeys can follow, in person or in mind; writing and wider art result. 6 Poetry by David James Ross That’s part of why I was both inspired and 7 Poetry by Lydia Harris and Ingrid Leonard challenged by some of the ideas shared in Edinburgh last autumn, when the Scottish Government hosted 8 An Excursion – Story by David Carson a meeting of the Arctic Circle Forum. Scotland – Undoing – Story by Barry Graham Arctic? At first, the connection seems tenuous. But as delegates from across much of the upper part of 9 Poetry by Gerrie Fellows, Beth McDonough and Paula Jennings the hemisphere – from Alaska, Canada, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Scandinavia and Scotland – shared 10 Poetry by Kenneth Steven, Stewart Sanderson and Jane Picton Smith information, the linkage began to make more sense. 11 The Day the Clocks Restarted – Story by Ian Tallach For in both geopolitical and environmental terms, the northern world is changing very fast. Melting of ice A Fishy Tail – Story by Selena Hardisty means that the Northwest Passage will soon readily be 12 Monument – Story by Richard W. Strachan navigable by large vessels for much of the year. Goods will ship faster from China to Europe by this route. 13 Poetry by Michael Stephenson, Vance Roberts, Aoife Lyall and Bridget Norway and Finland are already cooperating on major infrastructure projects to receive Chinese containers. Khursheed In just a handful of years, Iceland has become a global 14 Deericide – story by Liam Murray Bell communications hub. From the growing disaster of global warming, entrepreneurs across the wider north Reincarnation – Story by Lucy MacRae are plucking business opportunities. 15 Da Shipwrecked Forester – Poems by James Sinclair It’s an uneasy combination. But like it or loathe it, this is the reality of the new north. For writers whose 16 A Lighter Look at the Dark Stuff – Donald S Murray ponders peat work draws on northern energies, that’s important, both through increased scope for international 18 Unravelling – Story by Christine Grant collaboration and through the tensions of changing 19 Poems by John Young and Molly Donachie environments, economies and cultures. The magnetism of ‘north’ has just become stronger to many people, 20 Poetry by Sara Clark and Seth Crook including some who might surprise you. It’s scarier 21 Henry’s Playtime – Story by Marka Rifat than ever, and just as inspirational. n Kenny Taylor, Editor Eden in the Morning – Story by Roddy Murray 22 Flowing – Story by Anna Levin At the Northwords Now Website soon: 24 ‘Learning Swedish’ – Poems by Stephen Keeler northwordsnow.co.uk 25 Poetry by Grahaeme Barrasford Young, Robert Leach, Carolyn Yates, Podcasts Donald Goodbrand Saunders, Finola Scott and Sue Pepper A chat in the kitchen at Moniack Mhor Some poetry from the current issue 26 Tiramisu – Story by Maureen Cullen 27 Poetry by Hamish Scott, Miriam Sulhunt and Irene Evens 28 Alex Cluness – an appreciation www.facebook.com/groups/northwordsnow/ 29 Reviews Northwords Now is a twice-yearly Designer Williamson, www.garywilliamson.co.uk To submit your work literary magazine published by Gustaf Eriksson online, go to our website: Northwords, a not-for-profit company, www.gustaferiksson.com Submissions to the magazine are welcome. northwordsnow.co.uk registered in February 2005. They can be in Gaelic, English, Scots and The next issue is planned Company number SC280553 Advertising any local variants. Please submit no more for September 2018. The [email protected] than three short stories or six poems. deadline for submissions Board members www.northwordsnow.co.uk/advertise.asp Contact details – an email address or is 27th July 2018. You will Adrian Clark (Chair), Valerie Beattie, an SAE – should be included. We cannot hear about your submission Lesley Harrison, Kristin Pedroja, Subscriptions return work that has no SAE. Copyright by 30th September 2018. Anne Macleod, Peter Whiteley The magazine is FREE and can be picked remains with the author. Payment is up at locations across Scotland. See made for all successful submissions. The Board and Editor of Northwords Editor list on page 31. The fee for individual Now acknowledge support from Creative Kenny Taylor ‘home delivery’ is £6 for 2 issues, Postal submissions should be sent to: Scotland and Bòrd na Gàidhlig. [email protected] cheques payable to ‘Northwords’. The Editor, Northwords Now ISSN 1750-7928 Easter Brae Gaelic Editor Front cover image Culbokie Rody Gorman Beach at Mellon Udrigle, Wester Ross, Dingwall [email protected] as seen from a powered paraglider Ross-shire piloted by Highland photographer Gary IV7 8JU 2 Northwords Now Issue 35, Spring 2018 Silver in the hills, gold in the hearth fire Moniack Mhor turns twenty-five By Kenny Taylor he track to Moniack Mhor is my eigtht year) it felt like there were Edwin Morgan among them – so, huge show the success of the move, including a crunchy with snow, as squalls voices in the walls.” support. This year, we’ve got some of steady rise in occupancy of courses, with Tof sleet whirl in from the east. There’s also been a remarkable link our original tutors, including Liz, Tom 96 per cent of places filled last year. Fast-moving clouds smudge charcoal between past and present quite recently. Pow, A. L. Kennedy and Janice Galloway, “So, no pressure!” quips Rich. across the sky, over nearby fields and a The mother of Jamie MacRae, a young coming back. If it wasn’t for the support forest half-obscured in the glen below. participant in a songwriting course of writers of that calibre back then, I ✯ Blue-grey smoke rises from a glint of in 2017, used to deliver milk to the don’t think we’d still be in existence. stove pipe poking from a cluster of small last person to live in the cottage. Jamie “Support from the Arvon Foundation Among new work, three-year funding buildings. Thank goodness they’ve a fire performed his song ‘Wolves’ at Abriachan was also huge. We worked in partnership from the Life Changes Trust from this lit, I think, as I knock at the door. Hall, just down the single-track road from for 21 years; and the Scottish Arts Council year will support programmes of activity Minutes later, there’s also warmth from here towards Loch Ness, as part of that also helped a great deal. for young people between 14 and 26, mugs of coffee shared at the kitchen table course. It was the first time he’d sung in Coming to Moniack in those early from anywhere in Scotland, who’ve with Rachel Humphries, Director of the public. The work impressed course tutors, years must have been a bit like visiting had experience of the care system. That writing centre and Richmond Clements, Kathryn Williams and Roddy Woomble, a hill bothy, I suggest. Rachel and Rich will include taster writing sessions and Moniack’s resident ‘Cyber-Wizard’. The so much that they helped Jamie to record agree, but reckon that, in some ways, it’s working with individuals to discover glow widens as we chat, through tales of it. still rather like that. what kinds of writing most appeal to what once was here, what it became and “He’s now on his way to becoming “Even though you’re only twenty them. The young people will also play a what is yet to be. a recording artist,” says Rich, “and has minutes from town, it feels isolated here,” key part in how the work is steered. People have worked the land and lived performed at the Iona Music Festival and says Rich. “Another exciting thing that’s on this hilltop for centuries, says Rachel. Belladrum since then.” “And everyone still cooks together”, happening is that we’re going to launch So there’s a long tradition of meeting A participant in another songwriting adds Rachel. “People cook in teams of a small programme of Gaelic arts activity. and sharing stories here, she reckons, course, Heather Fyson, has just released four, so that they can get to know each This year, Bòrd na Gàidhlig are supporting going back much further than the start her first album ‘Shift in Time’ this year, other. It’s a great formula, so we’ve been us to deliver immersive courses in Gaelic of Moniack Mhor as a residential centre thanks to advice at Moniack from tutors careful not to change it too much. songwriting and poetry, which will in the early 1990s. Inspiration for that Karine Polwart, Findlay Napier and Mike “Writing can be quite a solitary include all participants coming together development came from a dynamic Vass. Now That’s What I Call Mentoring process. So being able to connect with for a public performance in Abriachan brother-and-sister duo, Kit and Sophia (2018…). like-minded people is worth its weight Hall. Heather Clyne, our administrator, Fraser.