Men & Beasts

Valerie Gillies is an award-winning poet with seven books to her name. Best known as the river poet who followed the Tweed and the Tay from sourse to sea, she has held writing fellowships at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, in East Loathian and Midlothian, and at the University of Edinburgh. Her poetry has been published internationally and translated into Italian and German. She teaches creative writing in schools, colleges and hospitals. Valerie lives in Edinburgh with her husband and children.Rebecca Marr is a photographer who was born near Beauly. She has worked in the highlands and in Edinburgh and the Lothians on photography commissions and her black and white photographs have been widely exhibited. Her commercial work has been used by theatres and newspapers, and in music promotion. As a sessional artist, she works with groups as diverse as mental health, HIV and AIDS, Attention Deficit Syndrome, and drug rehabilitation. She traveled accross Scotland with Valerie to capture this collection of portraits of men and beasts at home or in their own settings.

• Introduction Men Tam the Gun Black Cat Boy Geologist Gordon Skinny-Dipping Archie and his Flock Hill Lambing Aik an Birk Straw Angus Jockey Falconer Owl Calls Fieldwalker The Farrier's Here Tom and Finn Bee-Keeper The Bantam-Man Michaelon the Cape of Stones Iain's Salmon Surfer The Lioness and Her Men

Goin aroon the Borders wi Valerie an' Rebecca did my reputation the world o good. It's no often they see us wi beautiful talented women, ye ken. WALTER ELLIOT, fencer and historianThese poems are rooted in the elemental world. - ROBERT NYE, reviewing The Chanter's Tune in The Times Valerie Gillies is one of the most original voices of the fertile avant-guarde Scottish poetry. MARCO FAZZINI, l'Arco, Italia The work of Valerie Gillies and Rebecca Marr is the result of true collaboration based on insight, empathy and generosity. JULIE LAWSON, Studies in Photography Rebecca Marr's photos never fall into the trap of mere illustration, but rather they show a very individual vision - creative interpretation rather than prosaic document. ROBIN GILLANDERS, photographer