Na Sgailean

Na Sgailean holds space for shadows. It opens with an observation on the Highland Clearances in Scotland, when crofters were run off the land to be replaced by sheep.

These ecopoems remind the reader of a disappearing culture: poems about personal loss and poems about the loss of flora and fauna – how the natural world is changing as a result of the climate crisis.

Throughout, shadows, veils and ghosts materialise and wander, accentuating and exploring the sense of loss. It also explores the shock of familial death, a grief that can be similarly experienced in our relationship with the living past.

By highlighting areas of deterioration and loss caused by the human race, Na Sgailean encourages readers to find ways to heal the damage. 

After all, the natural world is our only home.