About me I grew up and went to school in Ayrshire, studied Linguistics and Language Pathology at Reading University and practiced as a Speech and Language Therapist before succumbing to the lure of books. I worked for many years for James Thin Booksellers; from there to the Edinburgh International Book Festival as Sales Manager and then to Stirling University for an MPhil in Publishing Studies. Fortune struck again when I became the Editorial Manager for Barrington Stoke, the specialist children’s publisher; and again when I had my daughter several years later. I have been freelance since then; proofreading, copy-editing and project managing for august institutions like the Scottish Poetry Library. I have recently joined the Library team part-time as Administrator for the Friends.

Contact me about with any questions about our Friends scheme or about your Friends membership

My favourite poetry quote is ‘Like the night sky in a Greek poem. I see with a thousand eyes, but it is still I who see.’ CS Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism (Strictly speaking, prose, but poetry to me.) OR ‘There is no better grade than character / and no bigger brass or wage to make / than making a difference in this world.’ Elegy, Fred D’Aguair

My favourite poets are Caroline Bird, Wendy Cope, Emily Dickinson, Carol Ann Duffy, Sophie Hannah, Robert Frost, TS Eliot

When not at the Library you will find me working as a Home Start Volunteer, proofreading for Carcanet Press, shouting uselessly at my very small and very naughty dog, eating pasta and bread far too late at night, managing our holiday cottage in the wilds of South Ayrshire and dreaming about the days when I used to listen to music; read properly; browse in bookshops, before falling asleep in front of CSI.

My favourite biscuit is Rich Tea (it’s true); my favourite cake is Nicola Morgan’s Brain Cake (if the first slice doesn’t seem to work, you can just have another)

Me as a form of poem would like to be an epigram – satirical and witty; or a Haiku – reflecting on aspects of nature but fear I am more of a Limerick – humorous in nature, but can be more difficult than they at first appear to be.

One of the poems I carry Only fragments and snatches – light enough to carry but can mean as much as volumes would in weight.