Peter Mackay appears to put in writing poetry as he speaks. An island, he ponders, “will be seen as bounded by the ocean or as infinitely related”. He’s within the parallels between Federico García Lorca’s Andalucía and “the moist deserts of the outer Hebrides”. Poetry, he believes, “can create entire worlds and make them matter”.
It’s applicable, then, that 45-year-old Mackay was introduced yesterday as Scotland’s new makar, or nationwide poet. He’s the youngest makar so far, and the primary one who writes primarily in Gaelic. He’s “flabbergasted and delighted” by the honour, but in addition “barely bemused,” he says.
“There are such a lot of different nice, distinctive voices who may do that position and who will go on to do it in future,” he says. “It’s an enormous honour, particularly contemplating those that have come earlier than me” – earlier makars embrace Jackie Kay and Edwin Morgan.
Mackay began life on the Isle of Lewis within the Outer Hebrides, happening to check in Glasgow and Dublin, the place he developed an curiosity within the hyperlinks between Scottish and Irish literature. Today he divides his time between his position as senior lecturer in Literature on the College of St Andrews and writing his personal poetry; his collections, 2015’s Gu Leòr/Galore, and Nàdar de/Some Sort of from 2020 had been every shortlisted for the Saltire Scottish poetry guide of the 12 months.
Whereas his first poems had been printed in a 2010 pamphlet, he began a lot earlier – a poem he wrote aged 4 can nonetheless be discovered filed safely away in his mom’s residence. “I grew up in a neighborhood the place there was a lot music, a lot track, so many tales,” Mackay says. “That meant it was at all times reliable; I used to be allowed to put in writing and to be a storyteller.”
Raised bilingual in Gaelic and English, Mackay additionally speaks Spanish, Danish and Irish, and the connection of languages to one another and to tradition extra broadly options closely in each his work so far and his ambitions as makar. His poems normally start life in Gaelic, after which he roughly interprets them into English earlier than the 2 diverge and develop aside – a course of he describes as “essentially dishonest translation” as a result of, in a nod to Emily Dickinson, “each language tells its reality”.
His appointment comes amid a nationwide dialog about the way forward for Scotland’s native languages, Gaelic and Scots, because the variety of audio system of every dwindles. The Scottish languages invoice, which might give each official standing, may have its remaining studying throughout Mackay’s tenure.
“It’s helpful to have a Gaelic speaker within the position for that, to contribute to discussions about all of the totally different languages spoken within the nation at present, and to try to construct as many bridges as attainable between Gaelic, Scots, Polish, Urdu and all these different languages,” he says. “I’m concerned with how Scotland has at all times been multilingual, and multilingual in ever-increasing and enjoyable methods.”
Poetry can play a task in retaining endangered languages alive, he believes, by “pushing the boundaries of what will be executed”.
“One of many risks when a language is beneath risk is you get very conservative and say nothing can change, however these must be residing languages; they’ve to have the ability to evolve and alter.”
However, he notes, that comes with its personal duties. “I’m someone who’s reluctant to tackle the position of representing anyone else. I feel it’s vital symbolically that there’s a Gaelic makar and I’m grateful and honoured that it’s me, however I do have a way that all the pieces I do is partly additionally representing Gaelic audio system and poets in addition to my very own work and deserves – and that’s a number of totally different hats to put on and folks to do the very best job for.”
The makar is tasked with selling poetry throughout Scotland and producing work that responds to nationwide moments. Mackay expects to interact with themes of local weather and surroundings that characterised the tenure of his predecessor Kathleen Jamie – which is simply as nicely as a result of, he says, the Gaelic language is “landscape-heavy”.
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“I generally have a barely irritated voice in my head that claims ‘there should be extra themes than birds, climate, bushes’… nevertheless it gives a possibility to proceed conversations about nature and the surroundings, and to see what we will be taught between languages,” he says.
The 2026 Commonwealth Video games, which might be hosted in Glasgow, present one other such probability to “speak in regards to the world in numerous languages,” he believes. “Maybe it’s ironic given the position, however I’m concerned with wanting past the nationwide boundaries of poetry.”
It’s an thrilling time to turn out to be makar, 20 years after the position was established, says Mackay. “Poetry in Scotland is in a very stable and attention-grabbing place – the position has actually positioned it on the coronary heart of Scottish public life, however the poetry tradition has additionally modified in that point.
“Now there are slams, readings, various kinds of poetry – efficiency and social media alongside conventional kinds that are encouraging entire new generations to turn out to be engaged another way. The makar permits for these conversations to occur however may also be an instigator for brand spanking new methods of fascinated with poetry.”
Does this imply we’ll be seeing the primary TikTok makar? “I’d have to enhance my TikTok recreation for that to occur,” he laughs. However in verbalising his emotions getting ready to his tenure, it’s a surprisingly fashionable wordsmith he reaches for.
“We’ll simply must see how the following couple of weeks and months go,” he says. “And – within the phrases of RuPaul – attempt to not fuck it up.”
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