Conal Anderson
About Me:
I was born in Cumbernauld before spending my formative years growing up in Oban. I hold a degree in Librarianship and Information Studies and have held several roles across the public and private sector. Most of these jobs had customer facing responsibilities and I enjoy meeting new faces, making connections and providing a friendly support service to anyone who needs it.
My favourite poets are:
Christina Rossetti (mainly for her hair), Emily Dickinson, Minton Sparks, Maya Angelou, Andy Breckenridge, Norman McCaig, Liz Lochhead, Edith Sitwell (mainly for her rings), Jackie Kay, Ivor Cutler, John Cooper Clark, Connie Converse, Leonard Cohen and Dory Previn.
When not at work you’ll find me:
Haunting flea markets and second-hand bookshops in search of discarded paper ephemera and books. Wherever I travel, my first stop is often the local library—it’s usually a good indicator into the soul of a place. There may or may not be CCTV footage of me covertly rearranging books on shelves, but on that matter, my lawyer advises ‘no comment.’
Beyond the realm of books, I am a devoted enthusiast of live music of all genres. I enjoy art galleries/exhibitions and culture in all its forms. Fun fact – I do not own a television but have three radios. I doodle and sketch (badly) and I have dabbled in bookbinding and I love birdsong, forest bathing and waves on shingle.
My favourite poetry quote is:
Where they destroy, we create;
Where they criticize, we inspire.
That is why they are the critics,
and we are the poets
Lang Leav [We the Poets]