On our new Makar, the Glasgow Radical Book Fair & more
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Pàdraig MacAoidh [Peter Mackay] has been appointed as Scotland’s Makar – our national poet following in the footsteps of Kathleen Jamie, Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead, and Edwin Morgan and is the first Makar to write in gaelic.
Pàdraig said: “It is an honour and a pleasure to be appointed as Scotland’s new Makar. I’m very grateful to the panel for their faith in me, and to the First Minister for his support, and especially his enthusiasm about a Gaelic poet taking on the role.”
“I love that Scotland has a ‘Makar’, not a poet laureate: the act of ‘making’ is central to the role, and that the title is in Scots adds a particular distinctive grounding.
“Part of my task, as I see it, is to encourage people to make things in all the different languages of Scotland, the dozens of languages spoken in this country: to see what kinds of conversations, games, debates can be sparked between them.”
Eve Livingston interviewed Peter for the Guardian (‘Scotland has always been multilingual‘):
“Raised bilingual in Gaelic and English, Mackay also speaks Spanish, Danish and Irish, and the relationship of languages to each other and to culture more widely features heavily in both his work to date and his ambitions as makar. His poems usually begin life in Gaelic, after which he roughly translates them into English before the two diverge and grow apart – a process he describes as “necessarily dishonest translation” because, in a nod to Emily Dickinson, “every language tells its truth”.
His appointment comes amid a national conversation about the future of Scotland’s native languages, Gaelic and Scots, as the number of speakers of each dwindles. The Scottish languages bill, which would give both official status, will have its final reading during Mackay’s tenure.”
“It’s useful to have a Gaelic speaker in the role for that, to contribute to discussions about all the different languages spoken in the country today, and to try and build as many bridges as possible between Gaelic, Scots, Polish, Urdu and all those other languages,” he says. “I’m interested in how Scotland has always been multilingual, and multilingual in ever-increasing and fun ways.”
Go here to read or listen to Pàdraig’s poems.
This Saturday is Glasgow’s Radical Book Fair at the Quaker Meeting House in Elmbank Crescent, Glasgow. The bookfair is a gathering of radical publishers, campaigns and activist groups from across Scotland …
Product magazine are inviting calls for submissions: Product publish original writing – short stories, non fiction + poetry by emergent/unpublished writers. Everyone welcome to submit new work. Go here for all the details.
Extra Teeth is back after a year’s self-imposed hiatus. They have a brand new issue out now and are offering two new mentorships to support new writers. Submissions for mentorships will open December 15th to December 31st. More details here.
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he certainly looks like a poet
I find it interesting that there is always at least one snarky and manic troll on the Bella comment stream, though the identity and obessions of the trolls appear to change over time. Do professional trolls have to undergo a right of passage? Or is this an expression of multiple personality?
Expect the ritual complaints from monoglot Scottish Tories about ”wasting money ” ( £15000 per annum ? ) on a poet of a ”dying language ”, although Andrew Marr may remain silent after having had his fingers rapped recently over his ill-informed comments .
great to hear the crystal clear tones of the former polis now tenant farmer in the lowland parleymince the ither day proving wance & for ol as if wan required further notice that the eagle has well & truly landid in the broch ov the Edin
Each Makar has been a hard act to follow, and in each case the new Makar has more than lived up to the task. Pàdraig MacAoidh looks set to continue this stellar trajectory. In a sometimes bleak lanscape for the arts in Scotland, this – and this latest appointment – is something we can really celebrate.
Agreed Paddy!