Tides in Time

Published by Pushing Out the Boat, 2026 to celebrate 25 years of Pushing Out the Boat, Tides in Time is an anthology of some of the best poetry, prose and art we’ve been proud to print over the years, featuring work from all 18 editions of our magazine.

Tides in Time was launched on Sunday 3rd May, 2026 in the  Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen. In recognition of Pushing Out the Boat’s contribution to Aberdeen’s cultural and creative landscape, its production was supported by a grant from Aberdeen City Council’s Culture Investment Programme.

Click to take a look inside ⤸


Cover:
Soaring High
image by Kathryn McFarlane

Introduction

“Dear Contributor

This year we mark the 25th anniversary of Pushing Out the Boat. To celebrate we’re publishing an anthology of some of the best prose, poems and art from the magazine. May we have permission to include your work…?”

That’s the invitation that went to over 100 authors and artists whose work has appeared in North-East Scotland’s magazine of New Writing  and Visual Arts. And here’s the response – a quarter of a century of wonderful writing and wonderful art, not only from Scotland, but from much further afield too.

Enjoy!

Contents

 prose poetry art
Preface
Editors remember
Knotbrook Taylor While you were sitting there
Eleanor Fordyce The Lost Shoe
Stuart B Campbell Answering Service
Zoë Green Vitamins
Martin Walsh The Iguana, the Scientist and the Hamburger
Nathan Castle Rewilding
Olivia McMahon Cake Sales at Columbarra
Linda Smith Christmas in Doune
Rachel Fox Snap
Gillian Shearer Mither Tongue
Eddie Gibbons About The Weather
Vivien Jones Gretna Sunrise
Kate Percival New Shoes
Sheila Templeton The Iceberg that Sunk the Titanic
Mandy Macdonald knowing one’s place
Heather Reid Whatever the Sea Brings
David Watson Hood Man in a Mask
Hana Horock-Elyafi The Quest
Pat Beveridge Tied Up, Lower Largo
Anke Addy Morning Light
Katarina Chomova Broadford Works I
Jan Holm Boat Side
Ian McDonough Oratorio
John Bolland The Retention Bonus
Helen Lynch New Era, New Perspective
Mary Johnston Child Education (1940) – II
Bernard Briggs Darcie
Morag Skene Tryin Times
Ian Crockatt Dropped Aitches
Rosemary Hector Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cow
JC Alfier San Pedro River Night at Fairbank Willow Wash
Cal Wallace The Tattie Box
Dorothy Baird Moving House
Gerard Rochford Ironing a Sari
Brian Farrington Salt Suds for Keeps
Ingrid Leonard Rammo in Stenness
Craig Aitchison The Young–Laplace Equation
Christopher Officer Spikkin
Keith Murray Old Tree
Neil Russell Untitled (Plant Series)
Kate Steenhauer Sentinel Star Readying to Set Sail
Joan Burgoyne Thrushes
Andy Hall Net Knots
David Elder Cutout
Hannah Lingard Lockdown I
Catriona Yule Sandals
Max Scratchmann The Gaelic Teacher and the Dinner Lady
Neil Russell Botanic Gardens Station, Glasgow
Haworth Hodgkinson Ancient History
Fraser Paterson “Buffet Barry”
Sally Evans Rescue Squad
Lesley Benzie Divorced Fae Reality
Rob A Mackenzie John Knox
John Bolland Three North-East Vignettes – 2016
Maureen Ross and Ruth Channing A woman writes to her imaginary lovers
Donald S Murray Cross School Poems
Hannah Kunzlik Last Journey Home
Stephen Busby Prayer for Great Grandfather
Judith Taylor Hill of Rubislaw
Nicola Furrie Murphy True colours
Denise Setterington The Tunnel
A C Clarke The conversation I never had
Maxine Rose Munro Seaglass
Erin Tosh Mercat Cross
Sarah Ellen Macmillan-Taylor Paul Smith offers
Tim Winters Japan Diary – Stage 22 Okabe
Ally Taylor Gateway
Jane Pettigrew Rocks at Old Portlethen
Marka Rifat Bauhaus Landing
Sarah Whiteside To the Mountains
William Hershaw Ancient Mariner
Pàdraig MacAoidh An doras
Jean Atkin White
Shane Strachan Día de los Muertos
Gabrielle Barnby Distant Shore
Lesley Harrison East Coast Lullaby
James Sinclair Differential Equations
Alison Green The Six Wives o Harry Troup, Nether Bogheid o Hameton
Heather Reid His Heart’s in the Right Place
Kate Percival Cold Coffee
Helena Sanderson Death of a Hawk
Malcom Cowie Cold Times
Frank Woods The Wee Man
Jonathan Wonham Waiting for the Call
Stephen Pacitti The Possum Spider
Martin Walsh New York Dialogue
Eleanor Fordyce Wish You Were Here
Lisa Gribbon Flyaway
Charley Sim The Ploughman
David Pettigrew Evolving Surface
Paul Barnes Black Kitty
Jonathan Claxton SEALINES, SEELINES
Marga Schnell Fyfie
Lily Greenall Frank
Sheena Blackhall Fitty Gloamin
Lucy Sutherland I’m a poet (if nothing else)
Zoë Green Trapped
Laura Fyfe Scream If You Want Tae Go Faster
Donald Goodbrand Saunders Calum at Talmine
Donnie Ross Scunner in the Gallery
Alison Green The Droont Quine
Mandy Haggith Joke
EE Chandler Washing My Mother’s Hair
Susan Elsley Golden Air
Gail Riekie A Cliff Walk in the Haar
Biographies
Acknowledgements

Sample Pieces:

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Divorced fae Reality poem by Lesley Benzie

San Pedro River NIght at Fairbank Willow Wash poem by JC Alfier

An Doras poem by Pàdraig MacAoidh

New Era, New Perspective extract from story by Helen Lynch

Whatever the Sea Brings extract from story by Heather Reid

The Six Wives o Harry Troup, Nether Bogheid o Hameton extract from story by Alison Green

The stories by can be read in full in Tides in Time

Sample Art:

Man in a Mask
Man in a Mask
David Watson Hood

ThrushesThrushes
Joan Burgoyne

Bauhaus LandingBauhaus Landing
Marka Rifat

Evolving SurfaceEvolving Surface
David Pettogrew

3 thoughts on “Tides in Time”

  1. Thanks to everyone who joined us at the launch. It was a joyous event; a befitting celebration of 25 years of POTB. Hope you’re enjoying reading the anthology. Do leave us your comments here.

  2. Delighted to have my poem’Mither Tongue’ included in this beautiful anthology. Taking part in the launch was a real honour. What a lovely community of writers and artists.

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