Queen of the sheep

by Valerie Thornton

Forty-eight contributors this year, slightly down on Issue 21, but with about the same number of pieces. Twenty-seven men, twenty-one women: the gender balance is improving. And a good mixture of well-known, up-and-coming and new names. As ever, it's all new writing and the usual wide range of topics and styles that never fails to amaze. We have country and city (source of much humour, gallus and gallows); weather (rain, of course) and seasons; Frank O'Hara in Gaelic and Jock Steinbeck in Canada; a few birds (eider, chicken, wren and Brent Millar's lovebirds); food (regularly on the NWS...