Valerie Gillies

Valerie Gillies (born 1948) is a Canadian-born poet who grew up in Scotland. She was the second Edinburgh Makar (Edinburgh's poet laureate) from 2005 to 2008.^[1] Gillies has written for literary and arts reviews, the theatre, and BBC radio and television, and has worked with visual artists and musicians.^[2] She has also taught creative writing extensively.^[3]

Gillies was born in Alberta, Canada, but grew up in southern Scotland.^[1] She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of Edinburgh.^[4] She also studied traditional Sanskrit dramas in Mysore, India.^[5]

She lives in Edinburgh and is married to William Gillies, a Celtic scholar, with whom she has had three children: two daughters and a son.^[6]

As well as publishing collections of poetry and appearing in various Faber and Penguin anthologies. In 1992, Gillies was appointed Writer in Residence for Midlothian and East Lothian^[2] in a scheme promoted by the two districts that was supported by the Scottish Arts Council.^[7] Her other residencies include The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, various district libraries and a large psychiatric hospital.

She was poet laureate ad vitam of the Trimontium Trust in 2002^[5] and the second Edinburgh Makar (Edinburgh's poet laureate) from 2005 to 2008.^[1]

In 2005, Gillies received a Creative Scotland Award to write The Spring Teller (2009), a book of poems inspired by Scotland's wells and springs.^[8]

She spent 2009–10 and 2013–14 researching and writing as an associate of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University.^[9]

• The Cream of the Well: New and Selected Poems (2015)
• The Spring Teller, Luath (2009)
• The Lightning Tree, Polygon (2002)
• Men and Beasts, with photographer Rebecca Marr, Luath Press (non-fiction and poetry) (2000)
• St Kilda Waulking Song, artist's book with Will Maclean, Morning Star (1998)
• The Ringing Rock, Scottish Cultural Press (1995)
• Poeti della Scozia Contemporanea, Supernova, Venezia [translation] (1992)
• The Jordanstone Folio, with 12 artists, Tay Press (1990)
• The Chanter's Tune, Canongate (1990)
• The Tweed Journey, Canongate (1989)
• Leopardi: A Scottis Quair, Edinburgh University Press [translation] (1987)
• Bed of Stone, Canongate (1984)
• Each Bright Eye, Canongate (1977)
• Poetry Introduction 3, Faber (1975)
• Trio, New Rivers Press, New York (1971)

• The New Minstrels of the Scottish Borders, Deerpark Press (2006)
• Tweed Rivers, Platform Press and Luath Press (2005)
• Scottish Literature in the Twentieth Century, Scottish Cultural Press (2002)
• The Faber Book of Twentieth Century Scottish Poetry, Faber (2002)
• Love for Love, Pocketbooks (2000)
• Atoms of Delight, Pocketbooks (2000)
• The Jewel Box CD, Scottish Poetry Library (2000)
• Homage to the Carmina Gadelica, Morning Star (1998)

• Official website