SKIPTON man Hadley-James Hoyles, who now lives in Scotland, has been inspired by his old home to publish his first collection of poetry - and says he would 'jump at the chance' to return for a reading.
Most of the poems in 'Ginnel and Snicket' were written in 2020 and 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic and says Hadley-James gave him comfort when he was unable to come back for a visit.
Hadley, a former pupil of Ermysted's Grammar School, currently lives in Edinburgh. He has made a name for himself in Scotland as a poet, author and events organiser across the Central Belt, though he hopes to expand his live readings into England in the near future.
After school, he attended the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow to study English and gained a teaching diploma.
He said: “I am delighted to have my collection ready to share. Many of these poems were written throughout 2020 and 2021, when I was unable to come to Skipton in the flesh. Writing these poems gave me great comfort, as I cast my mind back to my native Yorkshire and the beautiful area around Skipton.”
The book has been reviewed by some of the most illustrious names in Scottish literature, including writer Simpson Grears, who notes the ‘muscular and visceral connection to the moors and untamed lands of Yorkshire,” which, coupled with Hadley’s experiences of living and travelling around various areas of Scotland, have produced a debut which is “fierce, sharp and resonant, achieving raging elegy one moment and redolent lyricism the next.”
While this is Hadley’s first full-length collection of his own work, he has been published widely in Scotland, England and across the Atlantic. His work can be found in many literary magazines and anthologies, but he is just as passionate about promoting the work of others as he is about writing his own. Hadley is the inaugural Makar - Scottish Poet-Laureate - of Teviot Row House in Edinburgh city centre, and curates many readings throughout the year, supporting talent from near and far alike.
His work in poetry has taken him from Glasgow to Aberdeen, from the Isle of Arran to Stonehaven, but he says there is one place he is particularly eager to get to.
“I would jump at the chance to organise an event in Skipton itself; I just need to get there," he said.
Ginnel and Snicket is published by Rymour Books, priced £11.99. Visit: https://www.rymour.co.uk/
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