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Writer's pictureDavid Buchan

St Andrews Lecturer Appointed Scotland’s Makar



It has been announced that Dr Peter Mackay, Senior Lecturer in the School of English, has been appointed as Scotland’s new Makar — National Poet for Scotland. The announcement was made by First Minister John Swinney, and Mackay’s appointment was marked by an event at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh.


Lewis-born Mackay becomes the first Gaelic poet to hold the position. The role of the Makar, established in 2004, has been held by eminent Scottish poets such as Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead, and Edwin Morgan. 


The prestigious role, which has medieval connections, was created to celebrate Scotland’s poetry, and Mackay will produce commissioned works for significant Scottish events. He will enter a three-year tenure as Makar, supported by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Poetry Library, and will receive a £15,000 stipend from Creative Scotland.


Dr Mackay is an expert in Scottish and Irish literature from 1800 onwards, publishing critically acclaimed poetry collections such as Gu Leòr / Galore and Nàdur de / Some Kind of. He is also a BBC Next Generation Thinker and regular broadcaster on Radio 3 and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal.


On his appointment, Mackay stated he was honoured and eager to celebrate Scotland’s linguistic diversity: “Part of my task, as I see it, is to encourage people to make things in all the different languages of Scotland — the dozens of languages spoken in this country — and to see what conversations, games, and debates can be sparked between them. I can’t wait.”


First Minister John Swinney hailed Mackay’s historic appointment: “With his keen understanding of how different languages interact with one another, Peter is well equipped to help forge strong connections between different linguistic communities across both Scotland and the rest of the world.”


Photo from University of St Andrews

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