Writing: An Introduction
Gerda is a writer of poetry, prose, drama and children’s stories. Her poetry has been published in newspapers, magazines and anthologies. She has dramatised several novels for BBC radio.
Drama:
2009 – dramatisation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s novel Sunset Song,BBC Radio 4’s Classic Serial, Spring 2009.
2007 - dramatisation of Sir Walter Scott’s epic novel The Heart of Midlothian, BBC Radio 4’s Classic Serial, Autumn 2007. Nominated for the 2008 SONY AWARDS.
2007 - Island Blue, a drama serial, for BBC Radio 4.
2006 - co-writer of Pentlands At War, a Lottery funded community play for stage, published by Scottish Borders Art Services, 2007;
2005 - dramatisation of The Gowk Storm, a novel by Nancy Brysson Morrison, BBC Radio 4.
2004 - dramatisation of Agnes Owen’s novel For The Love Of Willie, BBC Radio 4.
2003 - dramatisation of Self-control, a novel by 18th Century Scottish writer Mary Brunton.
Poetry:
Gerda’s poetry has been published in the Scotsman, Cencrastus, Spectrum, The Eildon Tree, Down’s Ed News & Update, Parnassus Poetry in Review (New York), and Cleave (pub. Two Ravens Press, summer 2008). She was short-listed for the Eildon Tree Wilderness competition, 2005, and Aesthetica magazine competition 2008, and published in both subsequent competition anthologies.Her first collection:Invisible Particles - New Writing from Scottish Borders, was published by Scottish Borders Council Art Services in 2002.
Bella Day, a short story, published in The Eildon Tree magazine, Issue 14, 2007.
The Candlemaker & Other Stories (pub. Kahn &Averill, 1887), children’s stories, with her own illustrations. She has run many writing and story-telling workshops in schools.
Press quotes on writing:
PENTLANDS AT WAR:
“Triumphant...beautifully co-ordinated, directed and co-written by Gerda Stevenson...the stories' deep local roots give a fine edge of unpredictable detail. The quality of the staging was at least as impressive as the writing and structuring of the script.” Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman, January, 2006.
“A living history, both social and military.” T.W.The Peebelsshire News,January, 2006.
“Thank goodness for the 15 minutes per day of sheer enjoyment provided by this week’s Woman’s Hour Drama (weekdays, Radio 4, 10.45am). It’s an adaptation of SELF-CONTROL, by Mary Brunton, 1810, and it deals with the powerlessness of women in the 19th century, via the mechanism of a bodice-ripping romance. Marvellous.” H.S., Scotland on Sunday, March 30th, 2003.
“We've recently had a hugely affecting version of Agnes Owens' FOR THE LOVE OF WILLIE, adapted by Gerda Stevenson.” Chris Dolan, The Herald, April 17th, 2004.
