Scotland Appoints First Gaelic Poet as Makar

Peter Mackay, a Lewis native and the inaugural Gaelic poet to be named Scotland’s Makar, has expressed his intention to leverage his position as the national poet to advocate for his mother tongue, while ensuring this does not disadvantage other languages. Speaking to BBC Scotland News, he stated: “I write mainly in Gaelic and English, and sometimes Scots. “We are a multi-lingual nation so it’s important to find ways to speak to each other.” Historically, makars were medieval poets or bards frequently associated with the royal court, tasked with creating works for important events. Over the last two decades, Scottish cities have designated their own makars, and the first national poet was appointed in 2004. The Scottish Parliament authorized the appointment of Edwin Morgan as the initial poet, succeeded by Liz Lochhead, Jackie Kay, and Kathleen Jamie. Despite worries that the title might be misinterpreted beyond Scotland’s borders, every subsequent appointee has retained the designation of makar. Dr Mackay concurs with this approach. He commented: “One of the great things about being the Makar is making. “I want to bring as many groups together as possible and talk to each other in as many languages as we can about the things that matter like climate change and the refugee crisis.” Dr Mackay, a lecturer at the University of St Andrews who frequently participates in spoken word events throughout Scotland, has also voiced apprehension regarding the instability of arts funding. He stated his intention to closely observe the forthcoming draft budget announcement and is prepared to advocate for the necessity of investment in the cultural sector. Although his position, which includes a stipend from the Scottish Poetry Library, will necessitate a limited number of commissioned works for notable Scottish events, he is eager to compose poetry on diverse topics. He remarked: “Poetry is one of the most private artforms but it’s also one of the most public.”You turn to it when you have births, deaths, marriages and funerals, but poetry can also set the scene in sounds and syllables as well as words.” An illustration of this was his initial poem performed after his announcement as Scots Makar at Edinburgh Central Library. Composed for the recent Push the Boat Out Festival in Edinburgh, the poem is titled Bourach – a term found in both Scots English and Gaelic, signifying a muddle, mess, confusion, or fuss. He expressed his hope that both readers and listeners would find enjoyment in the poetry, regardless of their comprehension of the language. He recounted: “One of the ways I taught myself Spanish was by memorising the poems of Pablo Neruda and carrying them around in my head before I actually understood them,” he said.”The ability to have a poem inside your head, the words inside your mouth changes the way you look at the world.” While he does not restrict himself to specific languages, he maintains a strong passion for his native tongue. Dr Mackay conveyed his pleasure at the welcome he received from students of local Gaelic schools, who presented poems, songs, and music at the event commemorating his appointment. He stated: “No one thinks of Edinburgh as a great Gaelic city but it is. “Gaelic poets have always lived here. The great poet Duncan Ban MacIntyre lived here. “There are poets, musicians and singers, events every month and the same is true across Scotland. “We just have to talk about it, celebrate it.”” This content is copyrighted by BBC, 2024. All rights are reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.