CLÀR is a

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 ...

publisher. Established in 1996, the company is run on a voluntary, independent basis and based in Inverness, Scotland. It was the publisher for the

Ùr-sgeul Ùr-sgeul was an independent publisher of new Scottish Gaelic prose. The name Ùr-sgeul is a Gaelic word which translates variously as: a romance, a novel or a recent tale. History Ùr-sgeul was founded in 2003 as a project to promote new Gaeli ...

project, specialising in new Gaelic fiction.

Publishing Policy

Tha company concentrates on Gaelic-only publications and rarely publishes

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

or bilingual content. CLÀR has published Gaelic writers such as Timothy C. Armstrong, author of the first

hard science fiction Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...

work in Scottish Gaelic for adults, Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach, as well as non-fiction from authors including John Ailig MacPherson, Donald E. Meek and Mary Smith. Poetry collections published by CLÀR include work by

Niall O'Gallagher Niall O'Gallagher ( ga, Niall Ó Gallchoir), along with Michael MacNeill, is the political correspondent (neach-naidheachd) for the BBC's ''An Là'' News programme. Before the launch of ''An Là'', O'Gallagher worked on Radio nan Gaidheal's ''Ait ...

. CLÀR rarely publishes books for children.

1996-2021

Between 1996-2021, CLÀR published 80 Scottish Gaelic titles involving 90 different Gaelic authors, and was involved in Gaelic-only anthologies, poetry, short stories, fiction, non-fiction, autobiography and reference works, as well as the periodical STEALL, the BBC Radio nan Gaidheal-facilitated project ''Letter to an Unknown Soldier'' (Litir Chun an t-Saighdeir Gun Ainm: 14 - 18 Now project) and the Ùr-Sgeul Gaelic fiction series. Author and Gaelic campaigner Lisa Storey was involved in CLÀR since the company's inception, but has now moved on to Clò Phabaigh.

International

CLÀR has engaged in international collaboration including ''Ecstasy'', originally written by Irish author Ré Ó Laighléis, translated by Beathag Morrison, published in 2004. ''Ecstasy'' was a winner in the

CBI Book of the Year Awards The CBI Book of the Year Awards ( ga, Duaiseanna Leabhair na Bliana CBI), previously known as the Bisto Book of the Year Awards, are literary awards presented annually in the Republic of Ireland to writers and illustrators of books for childre ...

(formerly Bisto Book of The Year Merit Award), the European White Ravens Literary Award, the North American NAMLLA Literary Award and the

Oireachtas na Gaeilge Oireachtas na Gaeilge (, “The Irish (language) Gathering”) is an annual arts festival of Irish culture, which has run since the 1890s. Inspired by the Welsh eisteddfodau, the festival has included different events connected with Irish lang ...

Prize. Martin MacIntyre's collection of short stories published by CLÀR/

, Ath-Aithne, was translated into French and published by Vent D'ailleurs in 2018. More recently, Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach was translated to Irish by Eoin P. Ó Murchú and published by Leabhar Breac as ''Tinte na Farraige Duibhe''.

Scottish Gaelic authors

Scottish Gaelic authors published by CLÀR include

Meg Bateman Vivienne Margaret 'Meg' Bateman (born 1959) is a Scottish academic, poet and short story writer. She is best known for her works written in Scottish Gaelic; however, she has also published work in the English language. Education and career Ba ...

Angus Peter Campbell Angus Peter Campbell ( gd, Aonghas P(h)àdraig Caimbeul; born 1952) is a Scottish award-winning poet, novelist, journalist, broadcaster and actor. Campbell's works, which are written mainly in Scottish Gaelic, draw heavily upon both Hebridean my ...

, Alasdair Caimbeul, Norman Campbell,

Catrìona Lexy Chaimbeul Catrìona Lexy Chaimbeul (born 1982), also known as Catriona Lexy Campbell, is a Scottish poet, novelist, dramatist, and actor, working mainly in Scottish Gaelic. Life Chaimbeul was born into a well-known literary family in Ness, Lewis. Her fath ...

, Alison Lang, Mary Anne MacDonald, Martin MacIntyre, Peter MacKay,

Tormod MacGill-Eain Norman Hector Mackinnon Maclean (Scottish Gaelic: Tormod MacGill-Eain; 26 December 1936 – 31 August 2017) was a Scottish Gaelic comedian, novelist, poet, musician and broadcaster. He is the only person to have won both Bardic Crown and Gold M ...

, Finlay MacLeod,

Iain Finlay Macleod Iain Finlay Macleod (born 1973) is a Scottish writer from Adabrock, Ness, Isle of Lewis. He lives on the Isle of Skye. Macleod's first full-length play was called "Homers" and was produced by the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in 2002, directed by P ...

, Norma MacLeod and Des Scholes.

Awards

Several original titles published by CLÀR have been short-listed or achieved success at the Saltire Society Literary Awards. In 2003, the CLÀR/

title Ath-Aithne by Martin MacIntyre won the

Saltire Society The Saltire Society is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland. Founded in 1936, the society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland’s ...

First Book of the Year Award. Gormshuil an Rìgh by Dr Finlay MacLeod (An t-Oll. Fionnlagh MacLeòid) won the first Donald Meek Literary Award in 2010. In 2013, Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach by Dr. Timothy Armstrong was the winner of the

First Book of the Year Award, while Màiri Dhall, a collection of short stories by Duncan Gillies (Donnchadh MacGillIosa) from

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

via

Ness Ness or NESS may refer to: Places Australia * Ness, Wapengo, a heritage-listed natural coastal area in New South Wales United Kingdom * Ness, Cheshire, England, a village * Ness, Lewis, the most northerly area on Lewis, Scotland, UK * Cuspat ...

on the

Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to a ...

was shortlisted for the main award 2013 Book of the Year. The shortlist included

Ali Smith Ali Smith CBE FRSL (born 24 August 1962) is a Scottish author, playwright, academic and journalist. Sebastian Barry described her in 2016 as "Scotland's Nobel laureate-in-waiting". Early life and education Smith was born in Inverness on 24 Au ...

and James Robertson. This was the first time two Scottish Gaelic fiction authors together achieved placings on the Saltire Society Awards. 2013 was also the first time a Scottish Gaelic publisher (CLÀR) received two nominations in the one year.

External links

CLÀR independent Scottish Gaelic publisher

Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach launch - Tim Armstrong/CLAR Gaelic science fiction collaboration

Short video summarising 1996-2021, CLÀR

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:CLAR Scottish Gaelic language Book publishing companies of Scotland 1996 establishments in Scotland Publishing companies established in 1996 Scottish Gaelic literature