Mary Johnston, neé Mackie, is a writer and poet who has lived in Midlothian for over 40 years. She grew up in rural Aberdeenshire, and Doric was the first language she heard and spoke. Moving south, she had a career in teaching, but she has never lost her native tongue. In retirement, she began writing Doric poetry and short stories, many of which have been published. A short story pamphlet, Kennt His Faither, was published by Calder Wood Press. A poetry pamphlet, Angel and Aipple, published by Perjink, won the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award in 2014. She has developed an interest in translating from German into Doric, focussing on poems, songs,
and Grimm’s fairy tales.

She has been an active member of the Dalkeith Writing Group, the Haddington Poetry Group, Words on Canvas and Rebel Writers. The Doric tongue, with its inherent musicality and lyricism, lends itself to being read aloud, and Mary is a skilled and eloquent performer.

The stories in this publication, prefaced by a reflection on the importance of language to culture and communication, are richly varied and memorable. The emotional tone shifts from the powerful and highly charged title story, ‘Mysie’, to moments of humour and pathos. Her warmth and empathy are clearly evident in all these stories.

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