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News

Updated September 2008

Deborah writes:

I will be doing a reading at the Stirling Centre of Poetry, at Stirling University, on October 9th. You can find more details about time and place here

Blogger (and poet) P. J. Nolan has posted nice comments about Crannog 18, in which my poem, Along the Coast, appears--see stories below. Nolan's blog is rather more than that--to me it looks like a very professional arts review, and is well worth a visit. The Crannog review, now archived, appears here

I received the latest issue (27) of THE SHOp recently and as usual it is full of Really Good Stuff. The poems by Edward Denniston, taken from "South of the Border: a sequence," provide a distinctive insight into a Protestant childhood in Ireland. You can read more of Denniston's work at www.edwarddenniston.com. I was also intrigued by Derek Coyle's "St. Flannan in the Outer Hebrides."

A review of the latest issue of Crannog (see next news item) has been published on the Western Writers' Centre website. A link to that review is available on the Reviews page of this website. In addition to the review of Crannog 18, the Western Writers' Centre review has a number of other items which readers of this site might find interesting. I was particularly delighted to see a review praising Patrick Cotter's collection of poetry. Cotter edited the excellent but short-lived magazine "The Steeple." He is now the director of the Munster Literature Centre.

The latest issue of Crannog (No 18) includes my poem "Along the Coast." Crannog is published in Galway, and many of the writers in the current issue are Irish or living in Ireland, but there are also writers from Japan, New Zealand, America and Canada (and possibly elsewhere--I'm sorry if I've left anyone out.) Cillstifiann, by Tony O'Dwyer, is outstanding--well-written, beautifully constructed, and also it has a story to tell, which is something I happen to like in a poem. Other writers whose work caught my attention on first reading are Quincy Lehr, Niall McGrath, Rita O'Donoghue, and John Walsh. In addition to the good poetry inside the magazine, the covers, both back and front, are magnificent. They are taken from the work of artist Jaber Lutfi, who was born in Lebanon and lives in Montreal. More of his work can be seen at Galerie Sas.

Crannog is available directly from the publishers, who can be contacted via their website.

I have some good news from my publisher Lapwing, concerning other writers on their list. Ilmar Lehtpere, an Estonian translator, has won the Cornelius M. Popescu Prize for European Poetry Translation 2007, which is awarded by the Poetry Society. The prize was given for the book, "The Drums of Silence," written by Kristiina Ehin and translated by Lehtpere, and published by Oleander Press in England. Lapwing are soon to publish Lehtpere's translation of "My Brother Is Going Off to War," by Hella Wuolijoki and Kristiina Ehin.

Another Lapwing prize-winner is the author "Said", an Iranian resident of Germany who writes in German. He won the Goethe-Medaille, awarded by the Goethe Institute, in 2006. Lapwing have published a volume of his poetry, "The Place I Die" which was translated by Laurence James.

Lapwing publishes new and established writers from all the airts and pairts, with writers from the United States, Portugal and Estonia represented on the 2006 and 2007 lists, as well as writers from Ireland, Wales and England.

In 2007 there was also new work from writers who have been published previously by Lapwing, including collections from John Stevenson, Peter Pegnall and Cliff Wedgebury, and a book of critical essays by Kevin Higgins.

More information about Lapwing can be found at Order and Links.

News about Patrick Chapman's latest book caught my eye while I was reading the October Issue of Books Ireland. Chapman has had two collections published by Lapwing, as well as having written the script for a short film. (See Links). His new book, "Breaking Hearts and Traffic Lights", is published by Salmon press in Ireland.

Recommendations! Over the past year I have read a number of good books, but unfortunately most of them are long out of print. I would like to recommend some books, however, which are in print, and are well worth purchasing. These are:

Cruth na Tíre, edited by Wilson McLeod and Máire Ní Annracháin, published by Coiscéim, 2003. This book is a collection of essays concerning the relationship between Gaelic literature and the landscape. The essays, some in Scottish Gaelic and others in Irish Gaelic, cover a variety of topics, including the representation of the landscape in the Scottish Gaelic poetry of the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as in the classical "Bàrdachd nan Sgol" of both Ireland and Scotland. One essay focuses specifically on the sea as it appears in the poetry of Lewis, and another essay looks at landscape in traditional Irish song. The essays are rather academic in tone, as you would expect from the writers, nearly all of whom are associated with universities, but I was nevertheless left with the sense that these writers all share an emotional link to the literature and to the places of which they are writing. Contributors, in addition to the editors, are Iain MacAonghuis, Meg Bateman, Lillis O Laoire, Michelle NicLeòid, Roibeard O Maolalaigh, Donald Meek, Gillian Munro, Micheal Newton, Tim Robinson, Eamonn Slater,

Flemington and Tales from Angus, by Violet Jacob, published by Canongate Classics. This edition includes the novel, Flemington, originally published in 1911, and stories from two collections, published in 1922 and 1982. Although I had bought the book specifically hoping to enjoy the stories, I have to confess that I was not all that taken with them. The novel, however, was a pleasant surprise. It is set during the 1745 Jacobite Rising, and tells the story of a young man who, while operating as a government spy, finds himself compromised by an unexpected friendship with a Jacobite soldier. While the plot is reasonably engrossing, the book would be worth reading for nothing more than the author's exquisite descriptions of the Angus countryside. I also found the dilemma facing the hero in this novel, and the bitter personal consequences of war, to be of particular and enduring relevance. It could be said, too, that the novel is newly topical, given that this year sees the opening of the new visitor centre at Culloden.

Another book I have just acquired is The High Hills of Largy; Compositions of Sean Nugent. This small volume has been compiled by Catherine McLaughlin (daughter of Sean) and was edited by Cyril Maguire. Musical transcriptions are by Sharon Creasey. The book has been published by The Fermanagh Traditional Music Society, and I can also recommend an earlier book from the society, Hidden Fermanagh. Both books have accompanying CDs and more information can be found at Fermanaghmusic. The High Hills of Largy brings to print the tunes of Sean Nugent, who was a fiddler and member of the Pride of Erin ceilidh band. This little book is another valuable resource for anyone who has an interest in the music and culture of Ireland in general, and Fermanagh in particular.

I would also like to recommend some CDs which came my way this year:

Dileab/Legacy, by Margaret McLeod, available from Thane Records, TRCD0501. Margaret McLeod, a MOD gold medallist from the isle of Lewis, sings in her native Gaelic on this album, and with the exception of one or two tracks, is unaccompanied by other voices or instruments. The outstanding track for me is Oran A Mhailisidh, by Murdo MacFarlane.

Another CD I was pleased to receive was Easter Snow and other Traditional Songs, by Rita Gallagher. This CD was made (as a cassette tape, originally) privately, and is hard to find, but if you can get a copy it is an absolute gem. Rita, who has won three All-Ireland titles for her singing, hails from Donegal, and sings traditional songs in the traditional manner, without accompaniment.

Finally, I enjoyed Born for Sport, a CD from Paul O'Shaughnessy (fiddle) and Harry Bradley (flute), both of whose playing I have long admired. Again, what I found particularly striking about this album was the lack of accompaniment on many of the tracks! This album is also on a private label, but is distributed by Claddagh.

Past recommendations:

The Nabob: a tale of Ninety-Eight, by Andrew James, edited by J. W. Foster. Published by Four Courts Press. This book, published originally in 1911, is a series of interconnected tales set in Co. Antrim in 1798. The stories are told in a reasonably accessible Ulster Scots dialect, and are worth reading for their literary value as well as being of historical interest. It is the first book I have ever seen with footnotes referring the reader to websites.

Death of a King and other Stories, by Seamus de Faoite, published by The Lilliput Press. De Faoite was a native of Killarney, and most of the stories are set in and around Killarney, as far as I can tell. They are all quite short and some of them are a bit too sweet for my taste, but the writing itself is marvellous, and the stories have a lingering appeal.

Liontan Sgaoilte le Alasdair Caimbeul, air fhoillseachadh le Canan (1999). This is not a new book but it is still in print. Included in this volume by Lewis writer Caimbeul are stories and short plays or dialogues, all of which can best be described as quirky. They provide a tantalizing glimpse into modern life in Lewis--a glimpse which will surely confound anyone looking for heather and short bread-tin Gaeldom!

An Trubhal na mo Dhorn/The Trowel in my Hand--songs and poems by Neil Macleod. Collected and Translated by Roderick F. Macleod. This is a short collection of only a handful of poems by "the Polbain Bard" detailing the life of a fisherman and stonemason at the end of the 19th century. The book, or pamphlet, also includes information about the life of Macleod, and some excellent notes explaining the poems. A CD is also available which contains the poems spoken in Gaelic and English by Roddie Macleod, as well as poems recorded in the 50's by the author. Contact for the book: Roderick F. Macleod, "Suilven," The Avenue, Auchterhouse, Angus DD3 OTS, or Kevin H.J. Macleod, 4, Orchard Terrace, Craigleith, Edinburgh, EH4 2HA. Musicians will be interested to know that Kevin Macleod has made several CDs of tunes played on a variety of stringed instruments, mainly mandolin and banjo. His latest album, Dorney Rock, is a cracker.

Obituary:

In January 2006, I lost a good friend and mentor, Sandy Tulloch, or Dr. A. K. Tulloch. Sandy was a man of many talents and skills. He was a consultant eye specialist, a keen model engineer, a photographer, and a hill walker. His biggest love was traditional Scottish music, and he was probably best known for his vast knowledge of the music he loved and played so well.

Sandy was a lifelong friend of Sir Jimmy Shand, and was first described to me as the “archivist” of Shand’s work. Certainly, you could always count on Sandy to supply you with all the information you required about any tune ever recorded by Shand, and indeed Sandy had information about almost every tune ever heard in the Scottish and the Irish tradition! He had transcribed thousands of tunes and he gave out his transcriptions generously. He was equally generous with his praise and support for the many outstanding young accordion and fiddle players in Scotland. He collected and built instruments, mainly accordions, but also fiddles, and over the last few years Sandy would champion the single row melodeon--a rarity, nowadays--when playing at Letham Village Hall and elsewhere.

Sandy Tulloch will be greatly missed.