A Map for the Blind

Written mostly in Scots, Rab Wilson's A Map for the Blind deals with topics ranging from satirical social commentary to sublime shots of everyday life with his characteristic wit and insight. From a poignant reflection into the 'black hairt' of the coal industry, to a nostalgic and spirited look at classic bicycles, to wondering if anyone was listening to 'Holy Gordon's Prayer', Rab Wilson delivers a vibrant picture of Scotland which we can't fail to recognise.

Rab Wilson was born in New Cumnock, Aryrshire, in 1960 and worked in the Ayrshire pits until the Miners' Strike of 1984. He then left the mining industry to train as a psychiatric nurse in 1986. A Scots poet, Rab writes predominantly in Lallans, and his poetry has appeared in some of Scotland's leading poetry magazines, and regularly in The Herald newspaper's daily poetry column. He has performed his work to varied audiences throughout Scotland and has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, the Robert Burns International Festival, and was recently Festival Bard at the Wigtown Book Festival. Rab has twice been a prize winner of the McCash Poetry Prize, is currently a member of the Scots Language Society's National Committee and the Robert Burns Writing Fellow for Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association. He lives in New Cumnock.