Made in Edinburgh

About the Book: 

The silver birch shimmers in pale leaves.
I think of her as a daughter far away in the city,
the beech and ash her sisters.
My son is the pine tree strong and tall.

Award-winning poet Tessa Ransford shares her reflections on and evocations of Edinburgh's Holyrood Park, inspired by over thirty years as its neighbour. Throughout the seasons, in whatever mood or aspect it presents itself, the park is constant in the view from Ransford's window, and her engaging poetry is a response to the variety in its stability.

Accompanying photographs by Michael Knowles help to show the dramatic contrasts and beautiful detail of the scene they share.

The poems and photography combined embody the sentiment of 'turning nature into art' and create a beautiful, poignant work which resonates with all those who have experienced the beauty of Holyrood Park.

About the Author:

TESSA RANSFORD was born in India, educated in Scotland and has lived all her adult life in Scotland apart from eight years working in Pakistan in the 1960s. She has published many books of poetry since the mid-70s and has been translated and published in Germany, Austria, France, Denmark and Japan.

Tessa founded the Scottish Poetry Library in 1984 and was director there until its establishment in new premises in 1999. She has an honorary degree for services to Scottish literature from the University of Paisley (now the University of the West of Scotland) and in 2000 she was awarded an OBE for her services to the SPL. Tessa was also founder/organiser of the School of Poets poetry workshop (1981-99) and editor of Lines Review poetry magazine for ten years. Founder of Scottish pamphlet poetry and active in Scottish PEN, she is also now the Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at Queen Margaret University.