Thomas A. Clark is a poet and visual artist born in Greenock, Scotland, in 1944, and currently living in Pittenweem, Fife. With his wife and collaborator, illustrator Laurie Clark, he is the co-founder of Cairn Gallery (1976), amongst the first artist-run gallery spaces in Britain. They also co-founded Moschatel Press (1973), a small-print press run from their home in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, and later from Pittenweem. In 2016, a symposium was held at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh to dedicate a day to new research on Clark. Additionally, there were readings of Clark’s poetry, both in the poetry library and on Arthur’s Seat. Clark appeared in conversation with artist David Bellingham, and in the evening read his work with poet Matthew Welton. This special issue of the Journal of British and Irish Innovative Poetry collects an edited transcript of Clark’s conversation with Bellingham alongside new papers first presented at the symposium. The cover images – 'Five diagonal blue lines to brighten a designated space' and 'Five diagonal yellow lines to brighten a designated space' – were created by Clark and Bellingham.

Editorial

Article

Interview

  • 1