Voice of Dundee Champions Local Culture

Sex, drugs and poverty; childhood, love and hard work. Mark Thomson's collection of poems Bard Fae Thi Buildin Site does more than just paint a simple picture of hardship in the housing schemes of Dundee.

Working class roots helped nourish these non-traditional poems as Dundee's story springs to life in Dundonian dialect. Mark Thomson's poetic voice proudly defends his city, its unique culture, Scotland and the working class man.

Prisons and football stadiums are literally turned into classrooms for street poet Mark Thomson's poetry workshops. He knows how to reach kids who hate school, because, he says, "eh ken exactly what it's like". Not only does he teach poetry to at-risk kids, he also helps teachers learn to teach youths who show no interest. He knows how to give them self-confidence through self-expression, and makes them proud of their own Duindonian heritage.

It's the guys over in the schemes who are going to buy his poetry, Mark says. He used to sell cleaning brushes door to door and is going to take the same approach to selling his first book.

"Thi say that Dundee's no got any culture? We've nae vision an we dinna hae a dream? Well that's a load o shite. Dundee's a class act an em here now ti pit Dundee back on the map. Thirs plenty talent ah aboot, it's jist kennin whar ti look."
MARK THOMSON

"At last - a strang young voice fae Dundee."
MATTHEW FITT

"Poems though on ordinary life in an ordinary housing estate have a truth in them that comes directly off the page"
TOM LEONARD