Ron Butlin (born 1949 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish poet and novelist who was

Edinburgh Makar A makar () is a term from Scottish literature for a poet or bard, often thought of as a royal court poet. Since the 19th century, the term ''The Makars'' has been specifically used to refer to a number of poets of fifteenth and sixteenth cent ...

(Poet Laureate) from 2008 to 2014.

Education

Butlin was educated at 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 ...

. He later became writer in residence in 1982 and 1984 at the university.

Bibliography

He has written several novels, collections of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

poems 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 in ...

and

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

s. His work has been widely anthologised in Britain and abroad, and translated into over a dozen languages. His

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

, ''The Sound Of My Voice'', was republished in 2002 with an introduction by

Irvine Welsh Irvine Welsh (born 27 September 1958) is a Scottish novelist, playwright and short story writer. His 1993 novel '' Trainspotting'' was made into a film of the same name. He has also written plays and screenplays, and directed several short fil ...

who called it “one of the greatest pieces of fiction to come out of Britain in the Eighties”. Butlin is married to the Scottish-Swiss novelist and short story writer Regi Claire.

Opera Libretto

He has written seven

libretti A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major l ...

for opera, mostly for

Scottish Opera Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland. History Scottish ...

, and frequently in collaboration with composer

Lyell Cresswell Lyell Richard Cresswell (13 October 1944 – 19 March 2022) was a New Zealand composer of contemporary classical music. He was the younger brother of philosopher Max Cresswell. Cresswell studied in Wellington, Toronto, Aberdeen and Utrecht and ...

Bibliography

Novels * ''The Sound of My Voice'' (1987) * ''Night Visits'' (1997) * ''Belonging'' (2006) * ''Ghost Moon'' (2014) Short Story Collections * ''The Tilting Room'' (1983) * ''Vivaldi and the Number 3 and Other Impossible Stories'' (2004) * ''No More Angels'' (2007) Poetry * ''The Wonnerfuu Warld o John Milton (1974)'' * ''Stretto'' (1976) * ''Creatures Tamed by Cruelty'' (1979) * ''The Exquisite Instrument: Imitations from the Chinese (1982)'' * ''Ragtime in Unforgettable Bars'' (1985) * ''Histories of Desire'' (1995) * ''Without a Backward Glance'' (2005) * ''The Magicians of Edinburgh'' (2012) * ''The Magicians of Scotland'' (2015) * ''Here Come the Trolls!'' (verse for children, 2015) * ''The Offering'' (2017)

Reviews

* Murray, Glen (1980), review of ''Creatures Claimed by Cruelty'', in ''

Cencrastus ''Cencrastus'' was a magazine devoted to Scottish and international literature, arts and affairs, founded after the Referendum of 1979 by students, mainly of Scottish literature at Edinburgh University, and with support from Cairns Craig, then a ...

'' No. 2, Spring 1980, pp. 43 – 45 * Holton, Brian (1983), review of ''The Exquisite Instrument'', in Hearn, Sheila G. (ed.), ''

'' No. 11, New Year 1983, p. 43, Opera * ''Markheim'' * ''Dark Kingdom'' * ''Faraway Pictures'' * ''Good Angel, Bad Angel'' * ''The Perfect Woman'' * ''The Money Man'' * ''Wedlock''

References

1949 births Living people Scottish poets Scottish novelists Scottish science fiction writers Scottish short story writers Scottish opera librettists Scottish dramatists and playwrights {{scotland-writer-stub