Now in its second year, the Young Gaelic Writer Residency is the result of a partnership between Cove Park and Comhairle nan Leabhraichean / The Gaelic Books Council. It supports a Gaelic writer based in Scotland, aged under 30, and provides the time and funding required to develop current projects.

A-nis san dàrna bliadhna, tha an cothrom airson Sgrìobhadair Òg air Mhuinntireas na thoradh air co-bhanntachd eadar Cove Park agus Comhairle nan Leabhraichean. Tha e a’ toirt taic do sgrìobhadair Gàidhlig fo aois 30 agus stèidhichte ann an Alba, a’ toirt dhaibh ùine agus maoin airson pròiseactan a leasachadh.

We are delighted to announce the recipient of this residency is Fine Mayer. Fine [pronounced Fee-na] is an avid reader and writer with a particular passion for modern poetry and fantasy novels. She finished her first-class honours degree in English at Aberdeen Uni with a dissertation on Greco-Roman influences and gender identity in The Hunger Games trilogy, combining her interest in ancient literature with her love for fantasy. After the degree, she moved to Glasgow for a Gaelic immersion year at the University where she still lives with her three noisy birds and five less noisy guinea pigs. Fine is originally from the enchanting coast in Northern Germany which explains why she jumps into any large body of water she comes across. It also explains her fascination with folklore relating to sea creatures that travelled with her across the North Sea to Scotland. Since starting to learn Gaelic at university, she has fallen in love with the culture surrounding the language, and, you may have guessed, the Celtic folklore that inspires her writing.

At Cove Park, Fine plans to continue writing her debut NA fantasy novel.

Tha sinn air leth toilichte innse gur i Fine Mayer an tè a tha gu bhith air mhuinntireas am-bliadhna. ’S e leughadair agus sgrìobhadair gionach a th’ ann am Fine aig a bheil ùidh mhòr ann an nua-bhàrdachd agus nobhailean fantasach. Chuir i crìoch air a ceum le urram a’ chiad chlas ann am Beurla aig Oilthigh Obar Dheathain le tràchdas mu dheidhinn buaidhean Ghreugach is Ròmanach agus fèin-aithneachadh gnè ann an The Hunger Games trilogy, a’ co-measgachadh an ùidh aice ann an beul-oideas àrsaidh agus leabhraichean fantasach. Às dèidh a’ cheuma, ghluais i gu Glaschu airson a’ Bhliadhna Bogaidh aig an Oilthigh far a bheil i fhathast a’ fuireach còmhla ri trì h-eòin fuaimeil is còig mucan-gìnì nas samhaiche.

Rugadh ‘s thogadh Fine air a’ chosta bhòidheach anns a’ cheann a tuath na Gearmailte, agus tha seo a’ mìneachadh carson a leumas i ann an loch, abhainn, no muir sam bith. Tha e a’ mìneachadh, cuideachd, carson a tha geasachd oire air beul-aithris mu chreutairean na mara a shiubhail thar a’ Chuan a Tuath gu Alba còmhla rithe. Bho thòisich Fine Gàidhlig ionnsachadh san oilthigh, ghabh i gaol air cànan is cultar nan Gàidheal agus, ’s math a dh’amais sibh, seanchas.

Aig Cove Park, tha e fa-near do dh’Fhine a ciad nobhail fhantasach do dhaoine òga a leasachadh.

This residency also includes mentoring by Alistair Paul.

Alistair Paul is based in the Isle of Arran, although he is originally from Glasgow. His fascination with Arran’s history and culture prompted him to learn Gaelic and eventually to use the language creatively. He is interested in traditional story-telling techniques and weaves these into contemporary themes in his writing.

He won the Best Unpublished Manuscript for Adults at the Gaelic Literature Awards 2020 and his work has been shortlisted for the Gaelic Literature Awards a total of seven times. In 2018 he was awarded the Gaelic New Writers Award by the Gaelic Book Council and Scottish Book Trust. His writing has appeared in; Dàna, The Poets’ Republic, Tuath, Northwords Now, Steall and New Writing Scotland.

Tha Alistair Paul stèidhichte air Eilean Arainn ged as ann à Glaschu a tha e bho thùs. ‘S e an ùidh a bh’ aige ann an eachdraidh agus cultar Eilein Arainn a thug air a’ Ghàidhlig ionnsachadh agus, an ceann ùine a chleadhadh ann an dòigh chruthachail.  Anns a chuid sgrìobhaidh bidh e a’ tarraing air dòighean-aithris traidiseanta agus dualchas an eilein gus suathadh ri cuspairean ùr nosach leithid na dàimhean eadar daoine, tinneas inntinn agus fèin aithne.

Bhuannaich an obair aige duais Làmh-sgrìobhainn as Fheàrr do dh’Inbhich ann an 2020 agus bhuannaich e Duais Sgrìobhadairean Ùra sa Ghàidhlig bho Chomhairle nan Leabhraichean agus an Scottish Book Trust ann an 2018. A thilleadh air sin tha an sgrìobhadh aige air nochdadh seachd tursan air geàrr-liostaichean nan Duaisean Litreachais. Tha an obair aige air nochdadh ann am Poblach Nam Bàrd, Dàna, Tuath, Northwords Now, Steall agus New Writing Scotland.

Featured image courtesy of Fine Mayer. Image below courtesy of Alistair Paul.