Scotia Extremis by Andy Jackson and Brian Johnstone sampler
Scotia Extremis brings together a gallimaufry of poets to take a sideways look at what makes - and makes up - Scotland by examining the country's 'icons'. Featuring specially commissioned works by the National Makar Jackie Kay, plus acclaimed poets including Robert Crawford, Imtiaz Dharker, Douglass Dunn, Vicki Feaver, John Glenday and almost 100 more, all are tasked with probing extremes.
Scotia Extremis brings together a gallimaufry of poets to take a sideways look at what makes - and makes up - Scotland by examining the country's 'icons'. Featuring specially commissioned works by the National Makar Jackie Kay, plus acclaimed poets including Robert Crawford, Imtiaz Dharker, Douglass Dunn, Vicki Feaver, John Glenday and almost 100 more, all are tasked with probing extremes.
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Introduction<br />
The concept for the <strong>Scotia</strong> <strong>Extremis</strong> project is based on two books taking a<br />
similar approach to cultural icons. Split Screen (2012) <strong>and</strong> Double Bill (2014),<br />
both published <strong>by</strong> Red Squirrel Press <strong>and</strong> edited <strong>by</strong> <strong>Andy</strong> <strong>Jackson</strong>, featured<br />
poems in pairs, each pairing being a contrast between two thematic extremes.<br />
A 2015 review of Double Bill in Scotl<strong>and</strong>’s Gutter magazine asked when a<br />
Scottish variant on the idea would see the light of day. This rhetorical question<br />
sparked interest among the two editors, <strong>and</strong> developed into a year-long online<br />
project taking in 142 poets <strong>and</strong> writers.<br />
This anthology seeks to explore ‘the soul of Scotl<strong>and</strong>’ through a selection<br />
of the specially commissioned poems from its web-based incarnation. The<br />
commissioned poets were each given a topic selected <strong>by</strong> the editors <strong>and</strong> asked<br />
to come up with a new take on their subject’s place in the national psyche. Each<br />
topic was paired with another to highlight both their common identities <strong>and</strong> the<br />
extremes of the nation’s culture they embodied.<br />
Those invited to participate were either poets from Scotl<strong>and</strong> – though not<br />
necessarily living there – or poets resident in Scotl<strong>and</strong> – though not necessarily<br />
Scottish. We would like to thank all poets involved for the gifts of their creativity<br />
<strong>and</strong> enthusiasm. Sadly, this book did not have space to include all 142 poems<br />
from the more expansive online version of the project, but this book is a fine<br />
distillation of that online presence.<br />
The topics <strong>and</strong> their pairings – which here differ in some instances from<br />
their original online pairings – were drawn up <strong>by</strong> the editors <strong>Andy</strong> <strong>Jackson</strong><br />
(an Englishman based in Scotl<strong>and</strong>) <strong>and</strong> <strong>Brian</strong> <strong>Johnstone</strong> (a native Scot). While<br />
the list of themes reflects the interests <strong>and</strong> obsessions of the editors, it is <strong>by</strong> no<br />
means intended to be either comprehensive or balanced. It is hoped, however,<br />
that it does pick out some of the most telling str<strong>and</strong>s of the nation’s dna.<br />
<strong>Andy</strong> <strong>Jackson</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Brian</strong> <strong>Johnstone</strong><br />
www.scotiaextremis.wordpress.com<br />
February 2019<br />
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