Sat 5th July 2025
7:00pm - 10:00pm
Five acclaimed Scottish poets give a reading of their work, interspersed by music from local musicians. The poets, members of SHIPS (the Scottish Highlands & Islands Poetry Society), all have links to the H&I but come from as far afield as France and Brighton to share their poetry. There will be some time at the end of the performance to chat with the poets and for book signing.
The Poets –
Sharon Black
Sharon Black is from Glasgow and lives in the Cévennes mountains of France. Her poetry is published widely and has won prizes including The London Magazine Poetry Prizes 2019 and 2018. She has published 4 full collections of poetry, her most recent The Last Woman Born on the Island, set in Scotland and exploring the landscapes and heritage of her home country, particularly the Highlands and Islands. She is the editor of Pindrop Press and a sometimes resident of Strontian.
Jon Miller
Jon Miller lives near Ullapool and has had poetry, literary articles and reviews published in a wide range of literary magazines. He was formerly co-editor of Northwords Now. He has been shortlisted for the Wigtown Poetry Prize and was a winner of the Neil Gunn Poetry Competition in 2022. He was also winner of the prestigious International Book & Pamphlet Competition 2022. His latest pamphlet Past Tense Future Imperfect was published by Smith/Doorstop, an imprint of the Poetry Business, in 2023
Cait O'Neill McCullagh
One-time resident of Lismore, Cáit writes at home in Easter Ross. Her debut pamphlet The songs I sing are sisters was winner of Dreich’s Classic Chapbook Competition in 2022. Her first full-length collection The Bone Folder was published in 2024. Reflecting the linguistic traditions of her Irish and Highland upbringings, it has been commended for announcing ‘a bold and visionary writer who crafts the heartwood of language into luminous work that sings with life’. Cáit is now working on her second collection.
Andy Breckenridge
Andy is originally from Oban and now lives in Brighton where he works as a schoolteacher. He writes about self-imposed exile, cultural identity, memory and how this connects to our relationships with the rural and urban spaces we inhabit. His debut pamphlet, The Liquid Air, was published by Dreich in 2021, and an illustrated version came out in 2022. His debut full collection, The Fish Inside, came out in 2023. He has been published widely in both online and print journals and was awarded first prize in the Indigo Dreams poetry competition 2023.
Saturday 5th July
FREE ENTRY!!
