Hannah Lavery is Edinburgh’s current Makar, and in her latest collection, Unwritten Woman, she explores the city and gives a bold and vital call for us to see the woman in the stories we read and tell ourselves. Inside these pages she gives a stunning retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde through the eyes of the women in the story. Here is an extract from the collection’s opening pages.

Unwritten Woman
By Hannah Lavery
Published by Polygon

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde the Unwritten Women

its spine runs us through. he tells me

it’s the truth of this city. i see her

in the margins. wonder

what she knew

Dramatis Personae

enfield

utterson

poole

dr jekyll / mr hyde

witness / the poet

agnes / the cook

annie / the insurgent

girl / the wounded

maid / the soldier

mother / the fallen

sarah / the dreamer

conscience / who waits

the madwomen / who have

always known

the rising panic. say hello to your buried phantom. ready yourself to take the

bitter pill. steady yourself until the alarm & next door’s early start signals

you survived it all. the rising panic. say hello to your buried phantom. ready yourself

to take the bitter pill. steady yourself until the alarm & next door’s early start signals

you survived it all. the rising panic. say hello to your buried phantom ready yourself to

take the bitter pill. say hello to your buried phantom. ready yourself to take the

bitter pill. steady yourself until the alarm & next door’s early start signals

you survived it all . . . his rising panic. dance with your buried phantom. show

early signals you survived it. all your rising panic. say come in to your buried

phantom. give yourself the bitter pill. steady rock steady insomnia & next door’s

early start signals you survived your rising panic. say hello to your buried father.

ready yourself to take the bitter pill. steal yourself until the alarm & next door’s

early start signals you’ll survive it all. say hello to your buried girl. ready yourself

to be the bitter pill. steady yourself until the alarm says steady yourself & next

door’s scream signals the rising panic. hello to your buried self. take bitter pill.

until the alarm. steady. steady yourself until the alarm & next door’s early start

signals you survived it all. the rising panic. say hello to your buried phantom.

ready yourself to take the bitter pill. steady yourself until the alarm . . . steady yourself

until next door’s digging signals you won’t survive. the rising panic. say fuck.

fuck it. phantom says hello. take the bitter pill . . . ready steady . . . the alarm.

early start signals the rising panic . . . say steady yourself. take the bitter pill. the

next signal is the rising panic . . . say hello to your buried phantom . . . ready yourself

to take bitter pill . . . steady your hand . . . rid yourself . . . until the alarm & next

door signals . . . you survived it aw . . . the rising panic . . . say hello to your buried

phantom . . . ready yourself to take bitter pill . . . steady . . . steady yourself . . . until the

alarm & next door . . . hi . . . signals you’ll survive the rising panic . . . steady

. . . be the bitter pill say hello . . . say hello . . . the rising panic. say hello to your

buried phantom. ready yourself to take the bitter pill. steady yourself. until

the alarm & next door’s early start signals you survived it all. the rising panic.

say hello to your buried phantom. ready yourself to take the bitter pill. steady

yourself. until the alarm & next door’s early start signals you survived it all.

the rising panic. say hello to your buried phantom. ready yourself to take the bitter

pill. say hello to your buried phantom. ready yourself to take the bitter pill.

steady yourself until the alarm & next door’s early start signals you survived it all.

the rising panic. say hello to your buried phantom. ready yourself to take the

bitter pill. dance with your buried girl. say come in. say hello to your buried phantom.

ready yourself. steady their rising. be the bitter pill . . . say hello . . . say hello . . . say hello . . .

‘. . . and through the muffle and smother of these fallen

clouds, the procession of the town’s life was still rolling

in . . .’

poem of the passing,

of the way he stood

in the street. the night

taking him in.

spilt lip

on the turn. spoons of sugar

laid waste; the uneaten tray.

warring welt

springing fae scurrying rats, searching

fur new ship, settling fur drowning.

torn slip

piling the fire wi more wood, never able

tae throw the shakes; the cold creep,

creeping

up the backstairs.

oh, my son.

what are you?

counting the pile in the carpet. noting

the quality of veneer. straining

tae see

the mountains.

mercy. too distant. a memory.

to ask for. prostrate on the pavement.

in rage. frae amongst the dust. in skin

shed. in blood. the squall

hauls heavy . . .

frae the rot, frae the truth;

under the perfume,

the women.

Unwritten Woman by Hannah Lavery is published by Polygon, priced £10.99.