Ian Stephen is a writer, artist  and sailor from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. He studied English, Drama and Education at Aberdeen University where he graduated in 1980 with a B Ed. (with distinction) and Hons in English. After 15 years in the coastguard service, he resigned in 1995, to work full-time in the arts..

 Cape Clear Festival.  Photo by Mats Rehnman.

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 the inaugural winner of the Christian Salvesen/Robert Louis Stevenson award and he was the first artist in residence at StAnza, Scotland's annual poetry festival. The practice of navigating through the geography of stories has been a key element of his work across the arts since  a Creative Scotland Award in 2002.

Top image, El Vigo at anchor, Shiant Islands

All images and video by Ian Stephen except where credited.