Jackie Kay (1961 – )
Naomi Michison (1897 – 1999)
Liz Lochead (1947 – )
In the early 2000’s, a set of 12 busts were created and unveiled along the Lochside Walkway in Edinburgh, 3 of which are female poets.
Jackie is a poet, playwright and novelist and Scotland’s Makar (Poet Laureate) between 2016-2021. She was adopted by a Glaswegian couple and grew up in Bishopbriggs, with her autobiographical account of her upbringing and search for her birth parents laid out in her 2010 publication Red Dust Road. Other books include the award winning, The Trumpet, a biography on the blues singer Bessie Smith and several children’s books and short story collections.
Naomi was born to a well-off, well-connected family. Her student years were destined to be in science at Oxford, although the war took her into nursing. She was an ardent campaigner in politics, feminism and socialist issues. She was a prolific writer, with she herself not knowing how many books she had written, guessing at around 70 (it’s 90). Her work covers many genres – historical and science fiction, travel writing and autobiography as well as poetry. She was also JRR Tolkien’s proof-reader for Lord of the Rings. Her final book was published at the age of 100 and she died a year later.
Liz is a poet, playwright, translator and broadcaster. She was Scotland’s Maker between 2011 and 2016, having previously served as Makor for Glasgow between 2005 and 2011. Her career began in art, but she had a flair for poetry. Whilst studying Art in 1971 she won a BBC Scotland Poetry Competition. Her first poetry collection was published a year later. Since then she has published several collections alongside her playwright work, with her first performance, Blood and Ice in 1982.
The 12 busts of Scottish poets were created by 7 artists, none of them women. Just sayin’…
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