Ian Rankin's Sculpture: 'Somethin in us niver dees'

Some guys have all the luck! 

One of the few things we know about the anonymous book sculptor is that she's an enormous fan of Ian Rankin - creator of Rebus, notorious vinyl addict, and toper of fine ales, a.k.a. @beathhigh on Twitter.

This gorgeous sculpture resides with Ian *jealous face* after being gifted via the Edinburgh Bookshop.

The card with the sculpture quotes Burns: 'Something in us never dies' from 'New Year’s Day' (1790).

Since we have no intention of indulging in criminal behaviour and attempting to break into Ian's house, we shall confine ourselves to gazing at it virtually - it's No. 11 on Edinburgh City of Literature's Interactive Book Sculpture Trail.

Here's Sheena's poem for the partying skeletons of Scotland's literary past:

‘Somethin in us niver dees’

Thrawn Janet haunts the midnicht oor

Somethin in us niver dees

Tho Stevenson is nocht bit stoor

A buik aince born takks wing an flees

Holy Willie…fa’d forget?

Somethin in us niver dees

Tho Burns langsyne is wirm’s maet

A buik aince born takks wing an flees

Rob Roy, daithless, wields his sword

Somethin in us niver dees

Walter Scott lies in the yird

A buik aince born takks wing an flees

Iain Banks an Muriel Spark

Somethin in us niver dees

Flesh an bluid maun tirr its sark

A buik aince born takks wing an flees.

© Sheena Blackhall, 2013

Preparing to Fly 3: Poem by Sheena Blackhall

Travel Chest

The bird on her maiden flight

Took a little light reading with her

Daphne Du Maurier’s The Birds

And a salutary tale of a Dodo

Leaving nothing to chance,

She adjusted the straps on her safety helmet

Defence against hawk or buzzard

Her sat-nav’s in her genes

She wouldn’t know a map from a wish-bone

This bird’s a book-worm

(Thoreau to Baudelaire, Chaucer to Poe)

Ever since she learned that books

Were written by men with quills

She has the makings of a first class pilot

Being a bird who won’t change her feathers

Because the weather is bad

© Sheena Blackhall, 2013

Preparing to Fly 2: Poem by Sheena Blackhall

Amangst the Trees Three Birds War Steerin

Amangst the trees three birds war steerin

Deil the feather tae their name

Three wee fledglins raxxin, skreichin:

Cheep cheep, ma, wir wymes are teem!

Gie's a wirm, a hornygollach,

A sappy slug, a forkietail,

An emerteen, a furry moch,

The squashed intimmers o a snail.

Inbye a hoose, three bairns war steerin

Bed-time, bit wi nae remeid,

Three wee bairnies, tchyauvin, skreichin,

Greetin fur a buik tae read.

Stories steek their een at nicht

Dragons, feys, in widlans deep

Fin the meen shines in the derkness

Stories pave the wye tae sleep.

© Sheena Blackhall, 2013

Preparing to Fly 1: Poem by Sheena Blackhall

The Robin’s Nest

Guid day noo bonnie Robin, an whit dae ye hae here?

A nest I’ve bigged wi muckle care frae screivins far an near.

There are three eggies in thon nest. Whit bides inbye each shell’s

A hairst o wirds by seannachies an bards frae Ayr tae Yell.

The first egg hauds a rowth o poems wad brak yer hairt tae hear,

The secunt hauds a core o buiks o poets an their lear,

The third egg hauds a magic cloud, kens aa that ye micht speir.

An I maun guaird thon sky-blue eggs frae tod, or piercin thorn:

A kintra’s barderie needs a hame fur littlins yet unborn.

© Sheena Blackhall, 2013

Free to Fly!

The book sculptor's back and we're excited! Those of us who spend our days (and nights!) on Twitter have been following another trail in Edinburgh since May.

On May 16, a mysterious box containing a beautiful birdhouse, holding a nest with three eggs, arrived at the Scottish Poetry Library. We could share the excitement of opening the parcel via the SPL's twitter feed. I've collected the series of tweets here.

On June 16, Leith Library received a nest with three wee fledglings - the eggs had hatched! You can read the full story on their blog.

Then last week, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature opened a parcel containing a travel trunk. Inside the trunk was a bird, a map and a tiny copy of Daphne du Maurier's The Birds. A helmet and goggles for our aviator were in the trunk too 'to provide some protection throughout journey'. The full story is here.

This set of three - which the sculptress called 'Preparing to Fly' - hints at something wonderful to come, as the birds start their journeys from Edinburgh. You can follow her on Twitter @_freetofly_ where she's sharing messages about the importance of libraries and other 'special places'.