Maoilios Caimbeul (''Myles Campbell''; born 23 March 1944) is a Scottish writer of

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

prose Prose is a form of written or spoken language that follows the natural flow of speech, uses a language's ordinary grammatical structures, or follows the conventions of formal academic writing. It differs from most traditional poetry, where the f ...

and

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

. He writes in

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 ...

. Caimbeul, whose forename 'Maoilios' means "servant of Jesus" in Scottish Gaelic,Meaning, origin and history of the name Maoilios
/ref> was born in

Staffin Staffin ( gd, Stafain) is a district with the Gaelic name ''An Taobh Sear'', which translates as "the East Side", on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portre ...

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 ...

to a Free Church of Scotland

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

father and spent much of his childhood travelling between the isles 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 b ...

and

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

. He joined the Merchant Navy at the age of sixteen and consequently experienced a wide variety of nations and cultures. It was not until he was 26 that he became fully literate in

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

(though he had always been a fluent speaker and capable of reading) and at 30 he graduated from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

and

Jordanhill College Jordanhill Campus is an historic estate within the boundaries of Jordanhill, Glasgow, Scotland, which developed as a country estate. It is best known and most recently used as the home to the Faculty of Education of the University of Strathcl ...

before embarking upon a career teaching

. He spent time teaching in Tobermory,

Mull Mull may refer to: Places *Isle of Mull, a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides ** Sound of Mull, between the Isle of Mull and the rest of Scotland * Mount Mull, Antarctica *Mull Hill, Isle of Man * Mull, Arkansas, a place along Arkansas Highway ...

and

Gairloch Gairloch ( ; gd, Geàrrloch , meaning "Short Loch") is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. A tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a go ...

. As well as being a prominent poet, Maoilios is also noted as a writer of

and

. He has won numerous prizes for his writing and is known for his writing both within Scotland and internationally. He was crowned the Bard at the

Royal National Mòd The Royal National Mòd ( gd, Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail) is an Eisteddfod-inspired international Celtic festival focusing upon Scottish Gaelic literature, traditional music, and culture which is held annually in Scotland. It is the largest ...

in 2002 and he was the

writer in residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

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 ...

for 2008.

Bibliography

* ''Eileanan'' (1980) * ''Bailtean'' (1987) * ''A’ Càradh an Rathaid'' (1988) * ''A’ Gabhail Ris'' (1994) * ''Saoghal Ùr'' (2002) * ''Breac a’ Mhuiltein'' (2007) * ''TEAS'' (2010)

References

External links

BBC Bio - Làrach nam Bàrd

Personal Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caimbeul, Maoilios 1944 births Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Strathclyde People from the Isle of Skye Sabhal Mòr Ostaig 21st-century Scottish Gaelic poets Living people Scottish Gaelic dramatists and playwrights Scottish Gaelic novelists 20th-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Scottish writers 20th-century Scottish Gaelic poets