Ian Stephen is a writer and artist from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. He studied English, Drama and Education at Aberdeen University where he graduated in 1980 with BEd with Hons in English.

 Cape Clear Festival.  Photo by Mats Rehnman.

After 15 years in the coastguard, he became a full-time writer of poetry, prose and drama in 1995. Since the late 70s his wide-ranging work has been published in numerous UK journals, as well as internationally, in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland and the USA.

Ian was awarded writing bursaries from the Scottish Arts Council in 1981 and 1995. He was also the inaugural winner of the Christian Salvesen/Robert Louis Stevenson award in 1995, and in 2004, he was the first artist in residence at StAnza, Scotland's annual poetry festival.

Top image, El Vigo at anchor, Shiant Islands

All images and video by Ian Stephen except where credited.