Aonghas MacNeacail at Feile na Greine, Tech Amergin, Waterville, Co Kerry

Aonghas MacNeacail (born 7 June 1942), nickname ''Aonghas dubh'' or ''Black Angus'', is a contemporary writer in the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

language.

Early life

MacNeacail was born in Uig on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...

on 7 June 1942. He was raised in Idrigil, speaking Gaelic as a child. He was registered at birth as Angus Nicolson, but later changed his official name to "Aonghas MacNeacail," the Scottish Gaelic version of his name. He attended Uig Primary School and

Portree High School Portree High School ( Gaelic: ') is a state co-educational comprehensive school in Portree, Isle of Skye in Scotland. , the school enrols 490 pupils and employs 80 teachers and support staff. The school's catchment area draws from 15 primary sch ...

, and from 1968 the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

where he was one of a group of young writers who gathered around

Philip Hobsbaum Philip Dennis Hobsbaum (29 June 1932 – 28 June 2005) was a British teacher, poet and critic. Life Hobsbaum was born into a Polish Jewish family in London, and brought up in Bradford, Yorkshire, where he attended Belle Vue Boys' Grammar Sc ...

which also included

James Kelman James Kelman (born 9 June 1946) is a Scottish novelist, short story writer, playwright and essayist. His novel '' A Disaffection'' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 1989. Kelman won ...

, Tom Leonard,

Alasdair Gray Alasdair James Gray (28 December 1934 – 29 December 2019) was a Scottish writer and artist. His first novel, ''Lanark'' (1981), is seen as a landmark of Scottish fiction. He published novels, short stories, plays, poetry and translations, and ...

Liz Lochhead Liz Lochhead Hon FRSE (born 26 December 1947) is a Scottish poet, playwright, translator and broadcaster. Between 2011 and 2016 she was the Makar, or National Poet of Scotland, and served as Poet Laureate for Glasgow between 2005 and 2011. E ...

and

Jeff Torrington Jeff Torrington (31 December 1935 – 11 May 2008) was a novelist from Glasgow in Scotland. His novels draw on the changing face of modern Scotland. ''Swing Hammer Swing'' (1992) was set during the demolition of the old Gorbals. It took 30 years t ...

Career

Besides drawing on Gaelic traditions, MacNeacail is influenced by the

Black Mountain School Black Mountain College was a private liberal arts college in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It was founded in 1933 by John Andrew Rice, Theodore Dreier, and several others. The college was ideologically organized around John Dewey's educati ...

of the US. He has held writing fellowships in Scotland, including residences at the Gaelic college of

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig () (Great Barn of Ostaig) is a public higher education college situated in the Sleat peninsula in the south of the Isle of Skye, with an associate campus at Bowmore on the island of Islay, Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (the ...

, and reads his work at festivals around the world. He has collaborated with musicians and visual artists, and written drama. His poetry has been widely published throughout the English speaking world in journals such as ''Ploughshares'', ''Poetry Australia'', ''World Poetry Almanac'', and ''JuxtaProse Literary Magazine.'' He has also received wide recognition and critical acclaim for his screenwriting and songwriting. MacNeacail won the Stakis Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year with his third collection, ''Oideachadh Ceart'' ("A Proper Schooling and other poems"), in 1997. His most recent collection ''Laoidh an Donais òig'' ("Hymn to a Young Demon") was published by Polygon in 2007. His partner is the actor and writer

Gerda Stevenson Gerda Stevenson (born 10 April 1956 in Peeblesshire, Scotland) is a Scottish actress, director and writer, described by ''The Scotsman'' in 1999 as "Scotland's finest actress". She has played many parts in the theatre, including the title role ...

.BBC biography - Làrach nam Bàrd
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References

External links

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Textualities entry
1942 births Living people 21st-century Scottish Gaelic poets 20th-century Scottish Gaelic poets 20th-century Scottish poets 21st-century Scottish poets Alumni of the University of Glasgow Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Scottish opera librettists Scottish Gaelic dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Scottish writers People from the Isle of Skye People educated at Portree High School {{UK-poet-stub