SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE WEEK

In a Time of Distance by Alexander Mccall Smith, Polygon, £12.99.

A lexander Mccall Smith is a much-loved British-zimbabwean writer whose career has spanned decades. Works such as The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency and his serial novel 44 Scotland Street garnered global attention over the decades and he typically explores his love of Scotland, humour and poetry in much of his writing.

In a Time of Distance & Other Poems is Mccall Smith’s latest. In it he explores a wide array of themes including journeys, books, animals, places and the pertinent nature of the coronavirus pandemic through a collection of short poems.

Mccall Smith’s writing throughout his poems, although mostly similar in style, consists primarily of what would be deemed as light verse – which is no bad thing. This makes for a generally more lighthearted approach to the themes he explores, most visible perhaps in the likes of the animal section.

The poem titled Elephants reads: “You cannot understand our words, although your brains have memories like ours,” while Cheetah reads, “Fleeter of foot than any athlete… a yellow streak, a temporary blur of colour, easily missed.”

With Polar Bear, however, Mccall Smith deftly explores much more serious issues: “Not understanding why the world is becoming smaller; hungry for food that once was plentiful and now eludes him.”

A proportion of the poems relate to Mccall Smith’s travels around the world including India and Africa. However, the bulk of his work is based around the natural beauty of Scotland.

The Vivaldi-inspired section titled A Scottish Four Seasons exposes the permanence of our rugged, natural landscape. The stand-out works in this collection speak volumes in our volatile, Covid-19 afflicted world.

The title poem In a Time of Distance beautifully portrays how the pandemic has allowed us the opportunity to reconnect with a true sense of happiness.

This anthology offers a quaint, cosy form of escapism through poetry that’s easily accessible for all readers.