Reflector is a new book of illustrated poetry by artist Stephen French and poet John Glenday which perfectly interweaves Stephen’s captivating artwork and witty life vignettes with John’s powerful poetry

A limited edition of 200, each copy is number, dated, signed and hand finished by the authors

Stephen French is a Dundee and Kilchoan based artist who likes to keep his work eclectic and to stay open to new directions. As a result, subjects and media are always morphing, yet his technique, palette and composition remain consistent. French enjoys combining traditional painting skills with a subversive take on artists’ clichés but with the overall imperative of visual decoration. Born in Clydebank in 1953, French went to Dundee Art College and graduated with a BA in Drawing and Painting in 1975 and then in 1976 received the Greenshields Award to study painting in Paris. He went on to have an extremely successful career in design, working as a consultant with the Design Council and becoming a member of Memphis Milano, subsequently winning two Design Centre Awards. Becoming disenchanted with the industry, he returned to painting full time and has gone on to exhibit at the Pompidou Centre, Tokyo Museum of Art, the Barbican and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Born in 1952 in Broughty Ferry, Scotland, John Glenday is a highly regarded contemporary Scottish lyric poet whose work is celebrated for its precise language and exploration of elemental and spiritual themes. Glenday, who has worked professionally as both a psychiatric nurse and an addictions counsellor, brings a unique perspective to his writing, which is often described as taut, spare, and possessing a quiet, wry authority. He is the author of several acclaimed collections, including the prize-winning The Apple Ghost (1989) and The Golden Mean (2015), the latter of which won the Roehampton Poetry Prize. His collection Grain (2009) was shortlisted for both the Ted Hughes Award and the Griffin Poetry Prize, solidifying his reputation as a key voice connecting the rugged Scottish landscape with profound personal and ecological meditations.