When the Grass Dances

This book will be available September 2025

About the Book: 

When the Grass Dances by Valerie Gillies and Rebecca Marr is an evocative poetry and photography collection celebrating the wild grasses of Scotland. Through close observation of nature,  Gillies and Marr capture the essence of grass as a powerful symbol of life, resilience and renewal. Reflecting on the surprising significance of grass in our lives, this book serves as a reminder of nature’s presence and the hope she brings. 
Over 70 poems and around 80 photographs are divided into 6 chapters which explore the character of grass, its movement, its creatures and sounds, as well as the uses of different grasses and their folklore, culminating in a strong message of renewal for the environment and ourselves.

The authors invite readers to reconnect with the natural world, encouraging us to stop and listen to the grass growing. Here is a verdant gathering to calm and restore our mindfulness as we move towards our own healing journey. The vibrant imagery and thoughtful verses create a positive vision of our relationship with the earth.

This book will appeal to nature enthusiasts, poetry and art lovers, people who enjoy Scotland’s grasslands, and anyone seeking inspiration or solace from the natural world.
A gift of a book for those who wish to immerse themselves in nature and set foot among the wild grasses of Scotland. A perfect companion when learning about the grasses we are seeing all around us.

Reviews: 

Praise for Men & Beasts:

These poems are rooted in the elemental world. ROBERT NYE, The Times

The work of Valerie Gillies and Rebecca Marr is the result of true collaboration based on insight, empathy and generosity. JULIE LAWSON

About the Author:

VALERIE GILLIES has composed poetry since the age of fourteen. A former Edinburgh Makar, Royal Literary Fellow and an Associate of Harvard University, Valerie has been a literary arts practitioner in psychiatric and general hospitals with Artlink and a Writer in Residence in universities and libraries. She co-facilitated the creative writing workshops at Maggie’s Centre, Edinburgh, for sixteen years, and has been a trainer with Lapidus Scotland.

Her many collections include Tweed Journey, following the River Tweed from source to sea, and The Spring Teller, poems inspired by Scotland’s wells and springs. Her work always explores the healing potential of its environment, and this has an invigorating effect upon the reader.

REBECCA MARR was born in the Highlands and she has had a darkroom since childhood. She studied photography at Napier University Edinburgh. She moved to Orkney in 2007 for a Pier Arts Centre artist residency 'Art & Agriculture' working with farmers, and settled there. Rebecca works across digital and traditional darkroom techniques. Her subjects have included clouds, seaweed, Orkney’s wild flowers and of course the grasses.  She has contributed to over twenty publications, including several collaborations with archaeologist Mark Edmonds. She works with her husband Mark Jenkins on museum and community heritage projects.

Valerie & Rebecca first met in the mid-nineties, brought together by artist Kirsty Lorenz to run creative workshops with Artlink at The Royal Edinburgh psychiatric hospital. They have continued their friendship and support for each other over the years. Men & Beasts, a touring exhibition and publication in 2000, was their first collaboration. Two decades on, they embarked on a 5 year study of the wild grasses of Scotland.