BiographyAonghas Macneacail was born in 1942 on the Isle of Skye, and attended Glasgow University from 1968-1971. He has published several collections of poems, mostly in Gaelic with parallel English translations, including An Seachnadh/The Avoiding (1986) and Oideachadh Ceart/A Proper Schooling (1996), the latter winning the 1997 Stakis Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year. A collection of poems in English, Rock and Water, appeared in 1990. His latest book is a collection of Gaelic poems, Laoidh an Donais Oig/Hymn to a Young Demon (2007). |
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Over a period of 30 years, he has held creative writing fellowships with various community and educational bodies, including the Gaelic College in Skye, Brownsbank (Hugh MacDiarmid's last home), Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, and, most recently, in eight Dumfries and Galloway schools. The latter has resulted in a substantial anthology of pupils' writing.
His work has been widely translated and has appeared in many magazines and anthologies both in the UK and abroad. He has written plays and scripts for television and radio. In 1993 he wrote a four-part documentary series on Gaelic culture for Scottish Television and Driven West, a five-part drama for BBC Radio Scotland, and has recently worked, as a co-writer, on the feature film Seachd - The Inaccessible Pinnacle. He has also collaborated with various musicians, writing libretti and songs, and has toured all over the world to give recitals and lectures.
Bibliography
Poetry Quintet (contributor) Gollancz, 1976
Imaginary Wounds Print Studio Press, 1980
Sireadh Bradain Sicir/Seeking Wise Salmon (illustrated by Simon Fraser) Balnain Books, 1983
An Cathadh Mor/The Great Snowbattle (illustrated by Simon Fraser) Balnain Books, 1984
An Seachnadh/The Avoiding Lines Review Editions, 1986
Rock and Water Polygon, 1990
A Writers' Ceilidh (editor) Balnain Books, 1991
Sgathach, the Warrior Queen Balnain Books, 1993
Scotland: A Linguistic Double Helix (with Iseabail MacLeod) European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages, 1995
Oideachadh Ceart/A Proper Schooling Polygon, 1996
Laoidh an Donais Oig/Hymn to a Young Demon Polygon, 2007
Prizes and awards
1983 Scottish Arts Council Writer's Bursary
1992 Scottish Arts Council Writer's Bursary
1997 Paul Hamlyn Award for Poetry (shortlist)
1997 Stakis Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year Oideachadh Ceart/A Proper Schooling
2004 Bardic Crown, Ntaional Mod
2004 Feile Filiochta, Dun Laoghaire
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