Stewart Conn

Stewart Conn has been called ‘one of Scotland’s most skilled and wide-ranging poets’. His work, with its distinctive rhythmic and lyrical qualities, has been widely published, anthologised and translated. Among its settings are the Ayrshire of his boyhood, Glasgow and Edinburgh where he has spent the bulk of his family and working life; the distinctive land and seascapes of the Scottish highlands and western isles; and regions of France and Italy. Time and again, though, its true arena is revealed as the human heart. Bearing this out is his constant probing of the fragility and interplay of our lives and affections – often illuminating these through music and works of art. His recent The Touch of Time: New & Selected Poems (Bloodaxe) has been described as ‘a welcome and substantial gathering’. Recurrent themes include his delight in daily serendipities and in rural ways, and his recognition of mortality. His love poems written in maturity can be exquisite’ (Tony Roberts/Agenda). Married with two adult sons, he lives in Edinburgh and was from 2002-2005 the capital’s inaugural laureate. He has appeared at poetry festivals here and abroad, and read on numerous occasions at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He recently recorded a selection of work for The Poetry Archive.