John J. Coutts

Coutts was born in 1934 in Clydebank, Scotland.^[2] He earned a first-class degree in English language and literature from Lincoln College, Oxford.^[2][5]

Coutts pursued his career in Nigeria and England.^[2][6]

Coutts has translated sections of The Complete Works of Alexander Pushkin in English (Milner and Co, 1999), including the epic poem Poltava and various lyrical pieces.^[7][2] In 2010, The Handsel Press published his poetry collection titled Lines of a Lifetime.^[6][8]

His theatrical works include Shakespeare in Stirling, a play that imagines William Shakespeare visiting Scotland.^[2] The play was part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Open Stage project and was performed by the Riverside Drama Club.^[2] Coutts also created A Box of Surprises, a solo performance piece that combines poetry and storytelling.^[2] He also writes scripts and performance poetry for young audiences.^[2]

From 1953 to 1954, Coutts studied Russian and played rugby at the Joint Services School for Linguists. In the 1980s, he briefly held the position of Keston's representative in Moscow.^[9]

Coutts has contributed to BBC Radio Scotland's Thought for the Day program. In 2015, he published his autobiography, Was That Me? Memories of a Long Spent Youth.^[2]

In September 2015, Coutts was appointed Poet in Residence at The Smith Art Gallery and Museum by its then-director, Elspeth King.^[10][11][12] He organized the monthly Poetry Roundabout at the museum, an open event where participants can present their own poetry or share their favorite poems, until 2021.^[4]

In 2017, together with David Smith, Coutts compiled a book of poetry themed around the museum's cat, Oswald.^[13][4] Titled Oswald's Invitation: Oswald the Cat’s Book of Poems for Fun and Finding Out, the book was distributed to every school within the Stirling Council area.^[10]

Coutts is a lifelong member of The Salvation Army.^[14][10]