William Neill
Encyclopedia
William Neill was an Ayrshire-born poet who wrote in Scottish and Irish Gaelic, Lowland Scots
and English. He was a major contributing voice to the Scottish Renaissance
.
and later took an Honours degree in Celtic studies and English at Edinburgh. He was a frequent contributor to both Catalyst and Gairm
magazines. As a young writer, he studied the poets of the Scottish Renaissance
, and viewed 'modern assertions that "Scots was dying in the time of Burns
" as the assertions of dyed-in-the-wool townies.
Book Award (1985). He lived in Galloway
and was born in Prestwick
, Ayrshire
.
Lowland Scots
Lowland Scots can refer to:* people of Lowland Scotland* Scots language...
and English. He was a major contributing voice to the Scottish Renaissance
Scottish Renaissance
The Scottish Renaissance was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid 20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as the Scottish literary renaissance, although its influence went beyond literature into music, visual arts, and politics...
.
Early life
Neill was educated at Ayr AcademyAyr Academy
Ayr Academy is a non-denominational secondary school situated in the centre of the town of Ayr in South Ayrshire. It is a comprehensive school for children from the ages of 11 to 18 from Ayr. Ayr Academy's catchment area covers Newton-on-Ayr, Whitletts and the outlying villages of Coylton, Annbank,...
and later took an Honours degree in Celtic studies and English at Edinburgh. He was a frequent contributor to both Catalyst and Gairm
Gairm
Gairm was a Scottish Gaelic language quarterly magazine, founded in 1951 by Derick Thomson, and Finlay J. MacDonald . Its first issue was published in Autumn 1952. MacDonald served as an editor until 1964; Thomson remained present for decades until it ceased publication in 2004, producing just over...
magazines. As a young writer, he studied the poets of the Scottish Renaissance
Scottish Renaissance
The Scottish Renaissance was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid 20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as the Scottish literary renaissance, although its influence went beyond literature into music, visual arts, and politics...
, and viewed 'modern assertions that "Scots was dying in the time of Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
" as the assertions of dyed-in-the-wool townies.
Career
Neill taught English at Castle Douglas High School, his wife taught at the primary school. Occasionally he would sicken of teaching English and conduct lessons in Scots Lallans instead.Awards
Awards for poetry have included The Grierson Verse Prize (1970), Sloan Prize (1970) and a Scottish Arts CouncilScottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
Book Award (1985). He lived in Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
and was born in Prestwick
Prestwick
Prestwick is a town in South Ayrshire on the south-west coast of Scotland, about south-west of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is about south...
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
.
Works
- Scotland's Castle, Reprographia (Gordon Wright), 1969
- Four Points of a Saltire, Reprographia (Gordon Wright), 1970
- Then and now: poems and songs, W. Neill
- Poems, Akros Publications, 1970
- Despatches Home, Reprographia (Gordon Wright), 1972, ISBN 0 903065 07 X
- Wild places: poems in three leids, Luath Press, 1985
- Making Tracks: and other poems, Gordon Wright Publishing, 1988, ISBN 0 903065 65 7
- Selected poems, 1969-1992, Canongate Press, 1994, ISBN 9780862414764
- Galloway landscapes: poems, URR Publications, 1981, ISBN 9780950760902; Previous Parrot Press, 1997
- Caledonian Cramboclink, Luath Press, 2000, ISBN 9780946487530