A SCHOOL friend of Iain Banks has fulfilled a promise he made to the late author to publish a collection of their poetry.

Science fiction author Ken MacLeod and the celebrated writer bonded over a love of writing in their teens.

They were both part of a prolific writing circle in Greenock High led by inspirational English teacher Joan Woods, who fostered their talents.

Now, two years after Banks’ death from cancer, Ken has paid tribute to his lifelong friend by publishing Poems, by Iain Banks and Ken MacLeod.

Ken, who has won awards for his own work, said: “Iain had spoken to me about his poetry before he knew about his illness. It was something that he said he wanted us to do.

“He started to type up all his poems and sent them to me in a file. A week later we found out about his diagnosis. His prognosis was bad but it was a shock at how rapid it was.” Best seller Banks, regarded by many as one of Scotland’s finest writers, lost his battle with cancer of the gall bladder in June 2013 aged 59.

Ken, 60, who now lives in Edinburgh, said: “I still miss Iain today.

“I still catch myself noticing something and thinking for a split second that I must tell Iain about it or hear what he has to say. I am so glad that the collection of poetry is published. Iain’s publisher was very keen to do it as well.” Ken was 10 years old when he left his birthplace of Lewis to live in Greenock.

His father, a Free Church of Scotland minister, had been called to serve in the West Shaw Street church.

The oldest of seven children, Ken lived in Denholm Street with his parents Lachlan and Jetta.

He said: “It was a complete culture shock to go from a crofting way of life to a heavy industrialised town like Greenock. But I loved it and I have a great affection for the Greenock Telegraph, which I used to read every evening.” It was at Greenock High where Ken and Iain’s paths first crossed.

Ken said: “Iain came to Greenock High to study his Highers. I think we were in English together but it was through the writing circle we became friends.

“It was in the days before the national curriculum and our English teacher Joan Woods was brilliant and unconventional. She introduced us to the works of poets like Ron Butlin and Brian McCabe, who later became great friends of Iain’s.

“She used to get us to study the lyrics of Simon and Garfunkel.” Ken and Iain shared a love of poetry and science fiction and they stayed friends through their university years, Iain at Stirling and Ken at Glasgow, and then into adulthood.

Ken has carved out a successful career as a science fiction writer while Iain introduced the genre to a wider audience.

Ken added: “I suppose it is quite something that a town the size of Greenock produced two science fiction writers at the same time. I think science fiction was always Iain’s first love but the other books brought him huge success.” Iain Banks became one of the Scotland’s most popular authors with books like his debut Wasp Factory, the Crow Road and Complicity all becoming huge hits.

But Ken says that fame never changed Iain and he retained his close links with Inverclyde.

He added: “Iain was open-minded, principled, generous, and sociable — the most even-tempered person I ever met.

“He made lots of new friends and kept all his old ones. He regularly met up with friends he made at Greenock High School, and of course I still see them too.”