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Download Northwordsnow Issue 34 The FREE literary magazine of the North Northwords Now Issue 34, Autumn 2017 Making tracks HARRY GILES finds Orkney in Ontario, KIRSTY GUNN goes off the map, MANDY HAGGITH sails with an ancient mariner, MARTIN LEE MUELLER swims with salmon Plus Short Stories, Poems, Articles, Reviews and new Gaelic writing EDITORIAL t’s great to get pleasant surprises. That’s been Contents part of the fun of editing Northwords Now in the 3 Reviews Ilast few months. I can seldom predict just what stories or poetry will be pinging across to my inbox 4 Of Snow, And Ice Sculpted - Story by Rónán MacDubhghaill or what new collections, novels and more will be landing in the mailbox. 5 Poetry by Larissa Reid Several of the submissions published in this issue are by writers whose work was previously unknown 6 Song for a Tsar - Poems by Donald S Murray to me, but whose skill with words caught my attention and made me smile at the ways they could 7 The Executioner – Story by Mike Dixon stretch imagination. That’s part of the function of this magazine, of course: to showcase new work and 8 Granny – Story by Tristan ap Rheinalt encourage fresh talent from across the north. MoB - Story by David McVey But it’s also been great to get much support from weel-kent figures in the Scottish literary scene, keen 9 Dàn le Alasdair Caimbeul to say how much they value Northwords Now. Some Dàin ùra le Maoilios Caimbeul of these writers have provided new work for this issue. 10 The Sea is a Time Machine – Essay by Mandy Haggith I hope the mix of names, styles of writing and subjects printed here will give others both food for 12 Poems by Ryan Van Winkle, Howard Wright, Barry Graham, Ian Tallach thought, enjoyment – and perhaps an urge to submit their own work for possible publication in a future 13 The Night Visitor – Short Story by D.B. MacInnes issue. Writing from people living in or inspired by the Highlands and Islands is given prominence, but 14 Poems by Gerry Stewart, Helen Boden and David Stakes I’m also keen to see material linked to the wider north. That includes both other parts of Scotland 15 Six poems on the leaving of St Kilda – Stephanie Green and places around the northern world. With that geographical sweep in mind, I’m 16 Returning to the Bay – Travel essay by Harry Giles pleased that this issue includes writing drawn from experiences in northern Japan and Canada and by 18 Dàin Ùra le Pàdraig MacAoidh, Iain Mac a’ Phearsain writers based in Norway and Finland. I hope you enjoy the mix. n 19 Poems by Graham Turner and Nancy Graham Kenny Taylor, Editor 20 Outsider Walking – Story-essay by Kirsty Gunn 22 Poems by Karin Slater and Juliet Antill and ‘Quines at Sea’ – novel extract by Shane Strachan Visit Northwords Now on the web to submit work, to hear 23 Becoming Salmon – Story-essay by Martin Lee Mueller audio readings and interviews and for a downloadable .pdf of 25 Poems by Scott Fraser, Morelle Smith, Leonie Teal Charlton & Jay Whittaker the current issue: 26 Of Loneliness, and Oranges – Short story by Alison Bell www.northwordsnow.co.uk Unspoken - Short story by Rachel Horsburgh 27 Reviews 31 Contributors’ Biographies, Where to Find Northwords Now www.facebook.com/groups/northwordsnow/ 32 Dàin ùra le Eòghan Stiùbhart Northwords Now is a twice yearly literary Designer Front cover image To submit your work online, go to our magazine published by Northwords, a not- Gustaf Eriksson Fyrish monument in snow. By Black Isle- website: northwordsnow.co.uk for-profit company, registered in February www.gustaferiksson.com based photographer, Jamie MacPherson The next issue is planned 2005. Company number SC280553. https://unsplash.com/@jmacpherson for March 2018. The Web manager deadline for submissions Board members Duncan Lockerbie Submissions to the magazine are welcome. is 26th January 2018. Adrian Clark (Chair), Valerie Beattie, [email protected] They can be in Gaelic, English, Scots and You will hear about Kristin Pedroja, Anne Macleod any local variants. Please submit no more your submission by Advertising than three short stories or six poems. 30th March 2018. Editor [email protected] Contact details – an email address or Kenny Taylor, www.northwordsnow.co.uk/advertise.asp an SAE - should be included. We cannot The Board and Editor [email protected] return work that has no SAE. Copyright of Northwords Now acknowledge Subscriptions remains with the author. Payment is support from Creative Scotland Gaelic Editor The magazine is FREE and can be picked up made for all successful submissions. and Bòrd na Gàidhlig. Rody Gorman, at locations across Scotland. See list on P31 Submission should be sent to: ISSN 1750-7928 [email protected] The fee for individual ‘home- The Editor, Northwords Now delivery’ is £6 for 2 issues, cheques Easter Brae Advisory Group payable to ‘Northwords’. Culbokie Jon Miller, Peter Urpeth, Pam Beasant Dingwall Ross-shire IV7 8JU 2 Northwords Now Issue 34, Autumn 2017 Art and Conflict Many recent books highlight the current vibrancy of Scottish-linked writing. A fine sheaf of such titles is reviewed in the closing pages of this issue. To give a taster of some rewarding and sometimes challenging reading, this page presents a trio in very different styles and genres. I’m Coming With You books, it is not surprising Rose is Pennings from Home, Away, and In- always in control of this narrative. The between Edinburgh she describes is credible and Scottish Pen fascinating, her characters are beautifully Review By Anne Macleod flawed and mostly likable. The story itself, though gently told, plays out with a In her thoughtful introduction to I’m brutal inevitability, which begins to seem Coming With You, an anthology published cruel to fulfil. Despite knowing how to celebrate ninety years of Scottish PEN, it would end, such is the power of her Makar Jackie Kay declares ‘Ninety years fictional tension, I was deeply shocked of supporting and defending the rights of when the ending came. writers, the world over.…. could not feel Why does fiction often affect us more important now..’ more than nonfiction? In the case of A hundred pages of poetry and prose, Unspeakable, it might be because while I’m Coming With You, is a selection from we are happily escaping into the reality PENnings magazine, the online journal Rose has created, our guard is lowered published twice yearly by Scottish PEN – we forget that most of the story is not with contributions from refugees, asylum Studio portrait from made up. There really was a 19-year- seekers, writers with English as a second around 1863 of Alexan- old boy called Thomas Aikenhead, who language and Scottish PEN members. der Gardner, pioneering was incredibly lucky - but ultimately Here, work from international writers, Scots photographer, very unlucky. Rose has paid honour to such as Goran Simic, Kishwar Naheed, courtesy of Keith Steiner. him with such dignity and clarity and Eeva Kilpi and Ali Cobby Eckermann sympathy, it will break readers’ hearts. runs with poems and prose from such Which is the most any reader can ask for, established Scottish names as Tessa right? n Ransford, James Robertson, Liz Niven pretending that we’re different, but in very much at all. An innocent sacrificed, and many more. These, interwoven with fact we embrace each other..’ presumably as a scapegoat to keep the Alexander Gardner the freshness of new and lesser known The refugee experience is harrowing, potentially rebellious congregations in Visionary Photographer of the American voices, contribute to an illuminating, as the Scottish writers represented here line. Civil War sometimes heart-breaking, mix. understand. They walk with their fellow This is not a spoiler. The novel opens By Keith Steiner The necessity of meaningful writers. In ‘Rhythms and Aromas’, (for with the teenager Thomas Aikenhead Troubador Books & Amazon communication, the sharing of lived Iyad and Lamees,) Jim Aitken writes of recalling his childhood as he is being Review by KT experience in words – and thus its his friend ‘..tears can fill his eyes and escorted to the gallows. This is followed transcendence – blossoms in these pages. not just/for his wife but for the lands by all the events which led to this day: It can seem strange when a notable figure AC Clarke’s ‘The Poem’ confesses ‘I within him.’ Catherine Czerkawska, in family disintegration, poverty, the from the not-so-distant past is largely carried a poem in my pocket as cash/ ‘Aliens’, rides on her father’s shoulders. fortuitousness of a generous guardian. overlooked in the present. But it’s often for those who won’t take plastic’. In ‘My father’s papers proclaim him alien/ This is not a daunting journey because surprising when some old leaves are ‘Alienation’, Najat Abdullah, in luminous which makes me half alien too’ and Rose takes the reader gently by the hand turned over to bring such a person back English, shares both love for her native Morelle Smith, in ‘Walking in Tirana’, from the first page, and leads him into to light. land and her distress in exile. ‘My hope admits ‘I don’t know who I am, as I walk the darkest wynds and lanes. Not only That’s how it is with Keith Steiner’s is my country to return as beautiful as through these streets…. I whisper to the is it dark, but it smells strongly of such efforts to highlight the work of Alexander before.’ In ‘Unruly Night’, translated sauntering streets, tell me who I am..’ a variety of foulness and sweetness, it is Gardner.
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