New writer 2025: James Sinclair

James Sinclair was born in Lerwick, Shetland Isles in December 1961. He has been writing poetry for the past 20 years. He writes in both English and the Shetland Dialect, although his natural voice is in the dialect. Over the years, James’s work has appeared in a number of literary magazines and poetry compilations. He has published one pamphlet, Gulf Stream Blues, through North Idea, and two full-length poetry collections: Yarnin, 2017, and Sheeksin, 2021, through Bluemull Books.

His radio play, Da Sam Rodd Wir Ancestors Drave, was transmitted on BBC Radio Shetland in 2021. James is on the editorial committee of the New Shetlander magazine and is a committee member of the Shetland dialect group Shetland Forwirds. He is married to Diane and has two step-children Nova and Seamus.

Writing sample

Aliens

"Fly me ta da Mὂn." Dat’s da wirds o da sang.

I tink da Mὂn’ll be joost da start, dey micht

hae ta mak fur a black hol ur een o yun cluster galaxies.

Dir loadin da rocket as I spaek, dir crambed in 

as muckle restit muton an saat fish as dey can.

Dir’s Maggie wi her hens an dukes, someen’s

goin ta hae ta pit a rubber band on da rooster’s neb,

saw aff da horns o Lowrie’s ill vynded ram, Bert,

an Tammie has a guid grip o his dugs Ike an Tina as he climbs aboard.

Da owld eens are left ta man da fort,

an wi dem da last o da corned beef, red tins an poodered mylk.

Shoutin, "wir no goin furt i dis wadder."

An dis, da best laek an clearest day i da past six mont.

Shu’s da last craft o her kind, aabody idder has geen.

Da engines are fired up as shu taks aff wi siccan

a racket an a roar, da reek spewin aawey aroond.

We watch dem sail awaa, higher an higher

Makkin fur da stars an onbye, an can but winder

if da oceans o space are ony calmer waves

dan da rough seas an hiecht tides o hame waaters.

James says:

'I am delighted to receive the 2025 New Writer's Award in Scots. It gives me the opportunity to explore a book of poems in the Shetland dialect, which I am very passionate about.'