Alasdair Malcolm is set to reintroduce the poetry of his ancestor, Jeanie Donnan, to modern readers with a curated collection of her works. Donnan, known as ‘The Galloway Poetess,’ was born in Gatehouse of Fleet and later lived in Whithorn. She was a notable poet in the early 20th century and published four poetry volumes, gaining recognition for her war-themed poems featured in the Galloway Gazette.
Read More
Malcolm has compiled 123 poems from his great-great-aunt, creating what he describes as ‘the most comprehensive collection’ of her war-time writings. He stated, “In addition to the 30 verses in the original 'War Poems' booklet, I was aware that several other war-time themed poems by Jeanie had been published throughout the WWI period, and the idea of collating and publishing all her war poems in one volume was born. I believe this collection represents a significant proportion, if not all of Jeanie’s war poems, which have now been brought together for the first time.”
Donnan has been a lasting influence in Malcolm’s life, as he learned about her legacy from his grandparents during trips to Whithorn. He recalled, “I first learned of her fame as The Galloway Poetess from my own father and a battered old copy of her 1911 publication ‘Heatherbloom.’ Years ago, my father took me to Whithorn and pointed out her commemorative plaque on George Street. I also heard about her from my grandmother, who received a copy of the poems as a wedding present.”
Malcolm plans to self-publish this collection and aims to sell it across the Machars. “I thought it would be nice to put them all in one volume, effectively bringing her poems back to the fore and giving new generations the opportunity to read them, as her work is fairly scarce these days,” he said. He added that several of her poems, such as 'Only,' express deep sentiments about war and loss. "I hope that this book gives people not just an appreciation of her poems, but a picture of her life."