The Rediscovering the Antonine Wall project worked with the University of Glasgow to publish this Anthology, gathering stories and poems about the Antonine Wall from the local communities.
“History is story.
The Antonine Wall was built around AD 142, by order of Antonius Pius, by members of the three Roman legions who were stationed in Scotland — the Second, Sixth and Twentieth Legions. It was abandoned by the Romans around AD 165. Almost nineteen centuries later, it is still part of the daily lives of many people in the Central Belt of Scotland: glimpsed across the landscape, walked on, worked on, lived on.
In All Along the Edge, new and established writers respond to the past, present and future of the Antonine Wall. Their voices let it take life in the imagination, through poetry, short stories and creative non-fiction. Together, these contemporary writers have made a new topology of the Roman frontier in Scotland, honouring and challenging the past and contributing to a rich and lasting future.”
Dr Zoë Strachan, Reader in Creative Writing, University and Glasgow
Sample: Poem by Finola Scott
Sentry Duty Kirkintilloch
He raises a chilled hand against the thin sun
that goldens these slopes and valley beyond.
Tired, hungry, but obedient, he keeps guard,
senses the land warming, feels a loosening
in winter’s bite. Shivering he recalls summer,
that touch of sun, the song and soar of swallows.
But that is a long way off. Arrivals raucously chatter.
Whoopers and geese gather for the long night.
His gaze slides to skeins skimming the iced loch.
Distracted he doesn’t spot the hordes approaching.
Checking his phone, he packs his rucksack and
left-over picnic before opening the little gate.
His children are marching, calling Equaliter ambula,
arms swinging, round and round the wooden centurions.
Time to leave the fort to track-suited teenagers
who text and flirt, Latin primers abandoned in school.
* Equaliter ambula – Forward march
Download ebook here
Or order your paperback copy here: All Along the Edge: Contemporary Voices Explore the Roman Frontier: Amazon.co.uk: Strachan, Zoe: 9798398298086: Books
Warning: Some pieces included in this anthology contain themes more appropriate for adult readers, including violence and sexual references.
All content is the original work of the individual authors and any opinion expressed should not be considered to be endorsed by the project team or project partners.