Kenneth Steven – författare

Kenneth Steven's poems are inspired first and foremost by wildscape, by the places and people of Highland Perthshire and of the Celtic west - Iona and the Hebrides. But they are inspired by faith too, by the struggle to see God in the complexities of this world's turmoil and find light in the darkness. This is a completely new collection.

It was by coracle that the early Celts made journeys on the sea roads of their time. A coracle is a tiny vessel, yet it is sufficient to carry one soul on a whole voyage. This collection of poems is about voyages, both real and figurative; journeys of many kinds. It is about facing danger and doubt with faith - against all the odds.

The Spirit of the Hebrides combines the poetry of Kenneth Steven with the photography of Alastair Jackson and features images of Skye and Raasay in homage to one of Scotland’s leading 20th century poets, Sorley McLean. The Spirit of the Hebrides explores islands as places to be discovered; places which shy away from recognition, yet are in some way familiar. Kenneth Steven’s poetry reflects on the link between people and the land; how identity is shaped by wild places; the passing of many of the old ways of the Hebrides; the enduring beauty of these islands; the hospitality of their people and the depth of their spiritual awareness.Alastair Jackson’s photography captures the wilder and remoter parts of Skye and Raasay, often in bad weather, but showing a glimmer of sunshine and hope on the horizon. His wide horizons and stormy sky offer a glimpse into both the turbulent past and the deep spirituality of the Hebrides. This book uniquely captures the spirit of the Hebrides.*Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2019. "The result is a beautiful and evocative book that explores the land and seascapes of these islands, their vast skies and their resilient, shifting beauty in all seasons and weathers" -- Highland Book Prize 2019

In the summer of 2008, Kenneth Steven moved house and, in doing so, left behind his beloved little patch of garden. This small square of ground behind his home has for years provided a place of solitude, contemplation, observance and simple relaxation – a place for the mind to wander as the seasons pass. Kenneth Steven’s reflections, inspired by his garden, have been compiled into a collection of short, enlightening pieces full of wonder at the variety, beauty, determination and sheer audacity of nature in a confined space. Each of these deeply spiritual writings is accompanied by a poem, each complementing the other and making the known world new in this handsome hardback volume.

Over the past 20 years, Kenneth Steven has become one of the country’s most popular poets. Drawing on a quiet Celtic spirituality and a love of wild Scotland, his engaging poetry offers us something beautiful, evocative, moving and captivating. In Island, Kenneth Steven has chosen over 100 poems, including some of his best and most loved poems along with a selection of new work.

This new collection of lyrical and witty poems shows some of the surprise and excitement to be found in the natural world - both rural and urban.Even the familiar world of animals, seasons and seascapes is full of magic and mystery. The accessible poems are varied in style - from light-hearted to reflective. Children will enjoy reading these poems to themselves, and their teachers will appreciate the use of metaphor, rhythm and sound.

This new collection of lyrical and witty poems shows some of the surprise and excitement to be found in the natural world - both rural and urban.Even the familiar world of animals, seasons and seascapes is full of magic and mystery. The accessible poems are varied in style - from light-hearted to reflective. Children will enjoy reading these poems to themselves, and their teachers will appreciate the use of metaphor, rhythm and sound.

A lifetime of blessings inspired by God’s creation for the child you love.Ideal baptism gift for a godparent, grandparent, or family member to give to a young child full of blessings for their life ahead. Inspired by sensing God’s presence through the natural world around us, this beautifully illustrated gift from you will be treasured throughout their lives. Includes space to write your own words of blessing.

Fall in love with this amazing God-given world and its living creatures as you read these tales of Celtic saints and the creatures they loved. Whether it is St. Patrick speaking to wolfhounds or St. Brigid taming fox cubs, you will be enchanted by these saints and their stories, brought to life with whimsical illustrations."Kenneth and Laetitia have done a beautiful job in revealing a defining quality of Celtic Christianity—that we belong to this earth, and God walks beside us in every creature."—Simon Ruth de Voil, minister, East Barre, VermontKenneth Steven studied literature at the University of Glasgow in the late 1980s; grew up in a household where faith was of central importance; and has published 50 books. His children's books have appeared in 18 languages. He has presented at numerous literary festivals and undertaken readings, talks, and workshops in hundreds of classrooms throughout the UK.†

In this exciting and beautiful spiritual evocation of Iona, we find inspiring photography, brand new poems, tales recounting legends, local stories and Celtic passages from Adamnan – but there is much more to this wonderful book than a simple description of its elements can capture. It is a work of poetic, spiritual beauty. Evoking the intricacies of the island’s spiritual web, the book finds half-explored coves and caves, explores the names of certain seldom-visited glens and headlands and tells people who thought they knew everything about Iona things of which they had no knowledge.

This new poetry collection from Scottish poet Kenneth Steven captures small moments of revelation or epiphanies, which come unexpectedly as gifts amid the ordinary. An uncleared breakfast table, the sight of someone working outdoors, an old photograph, and the features and sounds of the Scottish landscapes that so inspire his work, all become, in the poet’s words, portals to a greater reality: ‘the small moments that make up the whole story. This is the sudden going through the door into the bigger world.’ Many of them are written in the sonnet form, whose brevity and economy of expression mirror the essence of this book, and whose very form turns from the ordinary to the extraordinary in a moment.

This new poetry collection from Scottish poet Kenneth Steven captures small moments of revelation or epiphanies, which come unexpectedly as gifts amid the ordinary. An uncleared breakfast table, the sight of someone working outdoors, an old photograph, and the features and sounds of the Scottish landscapes that so inspire his work, all become, in the poet’s words, portals to a greater reality: ‘the small moments that make up the whole story. This is the sudden going through the door into the bigger world.’ Many of them are written in the sonnet form, whose brevity and economy of expression mirror the essence of this book, and whose very form turns from the ordinary to the extraordinary in a moment.

Kenneth Steven is deeply rooted in the landscape of his native Highland Scotland and in his love of the Celtic Christian story. Natural and spiritual images abound and the interplay between them makes his poetry at once local and universal, the small and familiar revealing a glimpse of a vast and hidden divine realityThis new collection includes poems based on everyday sights and experiences – autumn mornings, flights of birds, mountains and lochs, sunrise and moonrise colouring the landscape, creatures of the day and night making their shy appearances, memories of childhood and the exchanges of love. In addition, there are poems inspired by ancient abbeys and symbols of faith and sequences for Christmas and Easter.

Kenneth Steven is deeply rooted in the landscape of his native Highland Scotland and in his love of the Celtic Christian story. Natural and spiritual images abound and the interplay between them makes his poetry at once local and universal, the small and familiar revealing a glimpse of a vast and hidden divine realityThis new collection includes poems based on everyday sights and experiences – autumn mornings, flights of birds, mountains and lochs, sunrise and moonrise colouring the landscape, creatures of the day and night making their shy appearances, memories of childhood and the exchanges of love. In addition, there are poems inspired by ancient abbeys and symbols of faith and sequences for Christmas and Easter.

I am going further north, he saidI do not know what I will findperhaps I will not come backall I know is that I must seekthis somewhere with all my soulIn the 7th century, Irish hermit monks left the island of Iona and dared to cross an unforgiving ocean to the wild, unknown shores of Iceland. What did they find there, on the edge of their world?Inspired by this incredible journey, poet Kenneth Steven distilled their experience into this sequence of poems that are sparse and pared to the bone, suggesting simple fragments of story recorded by the monks after their return to Scotland.A Song Among the Stones has been taken and interpreted by numerous artists and musicians in Scotland and beyond, the latest of whom is Simon de Voil.

The Monk and the Mermaid is a story from the island of Iona in the Scottish Hebrides. On St Columba's Bay at the south end of the island, the beach where the monks first landed in their coracles from Ireland, you can still find the most beautiful green stones, polished by the sea.

Iona has been Kenneth's spiritual home since his childhood. He even learned to walk on one of the island's beaches. He sometimes fears that there may be no more hidden corners to find, but there always are. His poetry collection Iona - first published in 2000 - remains one of his best-known books, although he is also a writer of novels, short stories and children's books. www.kennethsteven.co.uk

A new collection of poems inspired by the landscapes of Scotland and beyond, and dedicated to Kenneth’s late sister, peace activist Helen Steven: ‘She was Scotland to me …’Kenneth Steven is best-known as a poet, although he’s also very much a novelist and children’s author. It’s the wildscape of Scotland that has been his primary inspiration. He grew up in Highland Perthshire and was taken every summer to the west coast and the islands. At the heart of those islands was Iona, the place that from childhood has been his spiritual home.The poems are full of shining images of land and sea, and of echoes of the people who once lived in these wild and remote places; a potent reminder of the history in our geographies.Kathy GallowayKenneth is regarded as one of Scotland’s finest poets and prose writers, gaining excellent reviews for his work. His admirers have included the late Poet Laureate Ted Hughes.Ron Ferguson

IN 2020, BRITAIN IS AT BREAKING POINT...In a country sorely divided, what happens to empathy and tolerance, to generosity of spirit? And can hope survive? In 2020, years of economic turmoil, bitter debates over immigration, and anger at the political elites have created a maelstrom, a dis-United Kingdom. The country is a bomb waiting to explode. Then it does. As the nightmare unfolds, a myriad of voices - from across the political and social spectrum - offer wildly differing perspectives on the chaotic events...and unexpectedly reveal modern Britain's soul with 20/20 acuity. Thoughtful, compassionate and sometimes provocative, Kenneth Steven's 2020 is a parable for our times.

Sixth-century Ireland...Five-year-old Fian finds solace from a difficult home life by drawing shapes and patterns in the sand. The artistry he reveals in interpreting the beauties of nature takes him to Iona, where he will be the 'fourth hand' on the Book of Kells, that great treasure of the Celts.Greeted on arrival by the imposing Colum (Columba), Fian is gradually drawn into a community of laughter and stories, prayer and scholarship. But his formative experiences have left him vulnerable. In encountering blue-eyed Mara, a girl who bears a terrible secret, he recognizes another soul who lives with both desolation and joy. And as their friendship begins to deepen, Colum's rough-and-ready kindness leads the master to make an error of judgement that will have devastating consequences...This lyrical, timeless story, which unfolds amidst the elemental beauty of one of the holiest places on earth, is an exploration of doubt, faith - and the brokenness of spirit that finally releases us into love.

Elemental, timeless stories, set in Italy, Finland, Ireland, Russia, Germany, Scotland and America, reveal the impact the seasons can have on our inner beingAlthough each is complete in itself, these beautifully crafted tales contain recurring motifs so our understanding of one is enriched by the reading of others. The perspectives shift mesmerizingly as layer upon layer of human experience is uncovered. Ambiguity, mystery and spiritual searching abound, as the author meditates on many of the themes found in his highly acclaimed poetry: betrayal, lostness, bullying, the miraculous, faith and the power of love.

Poet and essayist Kenneth Steven takes us on a series of meditative quests in search of his “atoms of delight”—treasures, both natural and spiritual—through some of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes.The short pieces in this captivating collection, whose title pays homage to Scottish Renaissance writer Neil Gunn, invite readers to accompany Steven as he seeks out crystal-clear waters, a glimpse of an elusive bird, delicate orchids, plump berries, or pebbles polished by time and tide. Appreciative of the grace of silence and the value of solitude and simplicity, he takes journeys that prompt introspection and provoke memories as we pause, breathe, and discover alongside him the transformative power of nature's small gifts and wild places.This is an evocative book that will inspire you to pay close attention as you explore your environment and reflect on the fleeting moments of pure joy that nature has brought into your life. As you set out on your own pilgrimages, you will discover the extraordinary that can be found in the everyday when you take the time to look for it.

We whisper our prayer of thanks for this day -bless our sleeping tonight, Father God.Introduce young children to the practice of praying to God at the end of each day at bedtime. This prayer book models words of thanks to God, thoughts about others and asking for help.Inspired by Psalm 121, children will be comforted by God's blessing and care looking after them as they sleep. Each prayer ends with a repeated phrase, which encourages young children to learn and join in. The prayers ask God for safety and protection for animals, family and friends, other children in need, for the new day tomorrow and asks for help to be kind and caring like Jesus.Good Night: Prayers for Bedtime is written for young children and their parents or carers to say together at the end of the day, establishing the routine of ending the day with God. There is a space to write their own bedtime prayer as well.The charming illustrations and padded cover make this bedtime prayer book an ideal gift for a special occasion, celebrating a child's birthday or faith journey. It is a heart-warming prayer book ideal as a gift from a grandparent, godparent or family member to give to a young child.

An evocative journey through geology and landscape, seen through the eyes of one of Scotland’s most beloved poets and storytellers. Blending lyrical prose with personal reflection, Kenneth Steven explores mountains, glens and shores in search of gemstones and crystals. He recounts his delight at discoveries of gold glinting in Highland burns, freshwater pearls embedded in mussel shells, and aquamarines, garnets, amber and agates hidden in the wild places where others rarely roam. Beguiled by their forms, colours, and sometimes glittering bril- liance, he finds the thrill of unearthing riches more precious even than the gems themselves. Stone by stone, he considers the origins and allure of these natural treasures, revealing not only their geo- logical stories but their place in history and imagination. Steven’s deep connection to the land shines through as he interprets the meaning and magic, inviting readers to see both the landscape and its hidden gems with fresh wonder.