Poetry of the islands

Discussion: I was very disappointed in my foray into the poetry of the Shetlands, recieving the proverbial frozen mitt and for my pains I had to sit through an hour or so of mostly modern Irish rubbish - judge me not, I am a fervent disciple of Yeats.
I notice the Forum is mostly concerned with very practical things, and I wholeheartedly support the project to 'buy out' but, by bread alone man cannot live. Are there poets left among the 'black houses'? if so I would like to get among them. I am a devotee of the author Neil Munro, and am currently re-reading 'The Children of the Tempest' with a view to wandering among the magic landscapes of South and North Uist later on this year if I am spared. I have just ordered all the necessary O. S. maps. There! my bread is cast upon the waters - I wonder.

Wendy, I completely agree.

Storm Biscuits is a fabulous book and only one of many by Hull-born, but now North Uist resident, and a poet of extraordinary skill, Pauline Prior-Pitt. Pauline has her own website, with samples of her poetry there. If you haven't read her, you're yet to encounter a wonderful writer. She's also a brilliant reader of poems and always delivers a recital at the wintertime 'Last Thursdays' poetry evenings at Taigh Chearsabhagh. Not to be missed.

http://www.pauline-prior-pitt.com/pubs.html

http://www.booksfromscotland.com/Books/Storm-Biscuits-9781872916316 A little different, but maybe of interest to you.

Hi Archie,

Thanks for your response; I enjoyed my visit tremendously and have presented an article on the inspiration for 'Chidren of Tempest', set in South Uist, to the Neil Munro Society: it may be published. I did have some electronic correspondence with Aonghais A. Caimbeuil, a poet who lives in Eriskay but it fizzled out. Unfortunuately I'm not a Gaidhlig speaker although I love to listen to people, with the Gaidhlig, speaking English. When I worked at Lowther hill Radar, listening to Murdo, the station chief, was like listening to music.
I hope to visit the Uists again in September and this time I intend to take part in any Ceildh thats going, and, I'll look out for Angus Peter Cambell's book.

Hi Thomas,

This response will have missed your walk among us. I hope you didn't feel too alone and found much reading to keep you company.

One living poet I can think of, while now a resident of Skye, was born on South Uist. That is the famous author and bard, Angus Peter Campbell, whom you'll undoubtedly have heard of.

His latest book of poetry, 'Meas air Chrannaibh', was a unique publication, being the first book of poetry translated from the Gaidhlig into both English and Scots.

If you haven't yet had the pleasure, you can find 'Meas air Chrannaibh' and many other books of Gaidhlig poetry here: https://lsh507.securepod.com/gaelicbooks.org/merchantmanager/index.php?cPath=7