Literature features archive

Literature is one of Scotland’s principal national assets. Literature helps people develop the essential skills of literacy, articulacy, independence of thought and enterprise. It is also the carrier of our different languages.

Each month we feature a poem of the month, with information on the poet and their inspiration behind writing the poem.  We also feature a short story every three months.  Click on the the image or hyperlink to read past poems, short stories and the background information behind each of them. 

To view current features - go to our Features section

Featured poem
Short stories
Featured book

Featured poem

The Book of Belongings A poem by Brian Johnstone

The Hundred Thousand Places A poem by Thomas A. Clark

The Winter Night A poem by Peter Davidson

Rare Opportunity A poem by Brian McCabe

Rare Opportunity A poem by JL Williams

Flotsam A poem by Richie McCaffery

Breaking up the Cytherea A poem by Claire Quigley

Sonnet of the Noctuoid Moth A poem by Dawn Wood

Bramble A poem by Hamish Whyte

Yew, Fortingall A poem by Dilys Rose

Daed-traa A poem by Jen Hadfield

Care for Another? A poem by Donny O'Rourke

Counting A poem by Catriona Malan

London Scottish by Mick Imlah Poem of the month for December 2008

Pruning A poem by Jim C. Wilson Poem of the Month for November 2008

Credit by Ken Cockburn Poem of the Month for October 2008

Long Ago by Douglas Dunn Poem of the Month for September 2008

Inmates by Tom Pow Poem of the Month for August 2008

Midsummer by Gerry McGrath Poem of the Month for July 2008

The Calvinist by Kenneth Steven Poem of the Month for June 2008

Staffa by Jane McKie Poem of the Month for May 2008

A Journey to the Letter-Box by Angus Peter Campbell Take a look at our poem for April 2008

I watch the robin March poem by Hamish Whyte

Information February Poem by Gerrie Fellows

Blake's Wife by Tessa Ransford Featured in January 2008

No rumour by Aonghas MacNeacail Featured in December 2007

Heart - breaker by Alison Fell Featured in November 2007

Planting Crocuses with My Mother by Magi Gibson Featured in October 2007

Orkney/This Life by Andrew Greig Featured in September 2007

Sometimes by Gordon Jarvie Featured in August 2007

The Tiller by Angus Martin Featured in July 2007

Black Watch by William Hershaw Featured in June 2007

Voyeur by Roddy Lumsden Featured in May 2007.

Geese by Maggie Haggith Featured in April 2007

Berserk in Morningside by Valerie Gillies Featured in March 2007

On Balance by Maurice Lindsay Featured in February 2007

Neverthriving of Jugglers by Dilys Rose Featured in December 2006 and January 2007

Gale Warning by Alan Gay Featured in November 2006

In Strathfillan by Robert Davidson Featured in October 2006

Thrimilce - Isbister by Jen Hadfield Featured in September 2006

Mise Agus Pangur Bàn (The Monk and Pangur Bàn) by Meg Bateman Featured in August 2006

Real Thistles by Sally Evans Featured in June and July 2006

A News by Richard Price Featured in May 2006

On Pharos by Robin Robertson Featured in April 2006

Bho Ghèig gu Lèig (From Branch to Jewel) by Derick S. Thomson Featured in March 2006

Scops Owl by Anna Crowe Featured in February 2006

The Plot Unfolds by Hugh McMillan Featured in January 2006

Moral Problem by Meta Maltman Featured in November and December 2005

Absinthe with Eddie by Ron Butlin Featured in October 2005

Long Breath of Hills by Larry Butler Featured in September 2005

Self-portrait as an Unsuitable Poem by Helena Nelson Featured in August 2005

	Foxgloves by Alison Prince Featured in July 2005

Angel with Lute by Stewart Conn Featured in June 2005

Twenty-first Century Kid by Lyn Moir Featured in May 2005

	Corneal Graft by Kevin MacNeil Featured in April 2005

	Late Love by Jackie Kay Featured in March 2005

	The Wreck by Don Paterson Featured in February 2005

No picture              Star by Rody Gorman    available at         present                 Featured in January 2005

No picture available at present           Raspberries by Kate Clanchy           Featured in December 2004

No picture              A Book of Favourite Horse Stories by Tracey Herd available at            present                  Featured in November 2004

	First Morning at Au Diable Vauvert by Gerry Cambridge Featured in October 2004

	Homage to Kare Kivijarvi by John Burnside Featured in September 2004

Miles Away by Carol Ann Duffy Featured in August 2004

Short stories

big trouble A short story by Donal McLaughlin

Long White Cloud A short story by Alan Spence

First Catch Your Poet A short story by Susie Maguire

Polar Bears A short story by Carol Anderson

The Last Tweed A Short story by Linda Cracknell

Benchmark by Lari Don Featured from April - June 2008

No image available at present  The Snow Won't Lie for Long by Alan Bisset  Featured from January - March 2008

The Magnolia Tree by Sylvia Pearson Featured from September - December 2007

That Never Felt a Wound by Alison Irvine Featured from June - August 2007

Grace and Rose by Jackie Kay Featured from March to May 2007.

The Spit Boy by Stuart Delves Featured from December 2006 to February 2007

Chagall by Esther Woolfson Featured from September - November 2006

A Simple Thing by Brian McCabe   Featured from June - August 2006

Resorts and Devices by Ronald Frame Featured from March - May 2006

Death's Door by Merryn Glover Featured from December 2005 - February 2006

The Mani by Meaghan Delahunt Featured from September - November 2005

Fighting It by Regi Claire Featured from June - August 2005

No picture available at present               The Pass by Kirsty Gunn Featured from March - May 2005

The Sheriff and Susie and Swanny by Ron Butlin Featured from December 2004 - February 2005

No picture available at present              Twatt's Tearoom by Duncan McLean Featured from September - November 2004

Featured book

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi A book by Geoff Dyer

The Story of the Scotland National Team A new sports book for children

An Leabhar Mor The Great Book Of Gaelic

Maw Broon’s But An’ Ben Cookbook Book of the Month by Scotland's best loved matriarch

New Writing Scotland 26: Bucket of Frogs Book by Liz Niven and Brian Whittingham (editors)

Paying for it Featured in August 2008

James the Good: The Black Douglas Featured in July 2008

Mettings on the Edge Featured in June 2008

Scotland Recommends Featured in May 2008

Pitch Black by Alex Gray Featured in April 2008

Castles of the Clans by Martin Coventry Featured in March 2008

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Adaptation by Alan Grant Illustrations by Cam Kennedy Featured in February 2008