More Patina than Gleam

This series of poems, based in post war Edinburgh, tell the story of Linda, fleeing with her 11 year old daughter from England and an abusive relationship. In hiding as a lady's companion in one of the city's suburbs, mother and daughter settle into their new life in Elsie's rackety house, and encounter a variety of characters who will change their lives forever. More Patina than Gleam celebrates outsiders getting by in hard times - the day to day grind of cleaning a house, periods, prejudice, ageing, sexuality and falling in and out of love. The poems are not autobiographical, but Jane Aldous, whose own mother used to say that she could have run away with Jane when she was a baby, has gently torn scraps from her own life to add to the collage.

Jane Aldous is an Edinburgh based poet. Some of Jane's poems have been published in literary magazines such as Northwords Now and Southlight. She's been commended in poetry competitions and she won the Wigtown Prize in 2012. Her first collection, 'Let Out the Djinn' was published by Arachne in 2019, and other poems have been anthologised several times by Arachne Press.