About

Hi, I’m Palma McKeown, a Scots-Italian poet. I’m now semi-retired but my jobs have included TV subtitler for the BBC, Crime Desk Operator for Strathclyde Police and the gloriously titled World Alcohol Manager for Canadean Ltd.

I first started writing in my thirties but work and family commitments meant that I was unable to concentrate on my writing until I reached the age of 60 in 2020. I have been published in various magazines/anthologies including Rattle, Poetry Scotland and New Writing Scotland. I was a commended poet in the Open Awards Category of the FPM-Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine in 2021 and my poem “Signs” was chosen by the Scottish Poetry Library as one of the best Scottish poems of 2021 (Scots Category). Cadzow Publishing will publish my first pamphlet, How To Be Scots-Italian, in August this year.

I am very keen on making poetry accessible to the general reader and on supporting and promoting the work of other writers. I am poetry editor of a Glasgow-based annual anthology produced by Battlefield Writers, the most recent entitled Glasgow Tales (2025), and help run an associated creative writing group. I live with my musician husband and when I’m not writing I run a vintage business, like to try new recipes, create collages and love to spend time with friends.

A collage I made of my husband Tony. I love combining vintage papers and found objects to create something new from pieces of the past. Although they’re different from my poems, my collages are inspired by the same love of memory, nostalgia and storytelling.

Of course, food is another way to preserve family memories and traditions (can you tell by now I’ve got one foot in the past?) I’ve written this ebook, How To Eat Like a Scots-Italian – 15 Retro Recipes – click on the link below to find out how you can receive your free copy!

Free Recipe ebook! – Palma McKeown