Gary Robertson (author)

A fitness fanatic,[1] Robertson has previously climbed all 284 of the Munros.[2] He was the eventual winner of the first series of the BBC television reality show SAS: Are You Tough Enough?[3] After self-funding the publication of SAS 11 Days In A Hell Called Paradise, an autobiographical account of his experience on the show, he became a poet and author. He has so far focused on life for young people growing up in Dundee,[2] and on street poetry in the characteristic Dundonian dialect.

Robertson wrote the book Gangs Of Dundee,[3] an historical account of the gang culture that developed in the post-war Dundee housing schemes of the 1960s onwards.[4] He later presented a programme on BBC Radio Scotland on this subject.[5]

Robertson's street poetry was used[1] in the short documentary Young Anes depicting the life of a struggling young mother in Dundee, which was shortlisted for the best short documentary award at the 2006 Edinburgh International Film Festival.[6] His first collection of poetry was printed in the book Pure Dundee.[7] Along with Mark Thomson also from Dundee, Robertson is the other half of the Tribal Tongues poetry performing duo.[1] Robertsons other published works includes "Skeem Life", a look at life in Dundee housing schemes, and a biography of ex-Dundee United player Ralph Milne. He lives in the suburb of Fintry in Dundee.

• History of Dundee

• Young Anes web page
• The Dundee Poet's MySpace page