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.

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 the Glasgow-based writer Mairi Macleod. Mairi was born and raised in Glasgow, and is proud of her Hebridean heritage and Gaelic language. She holds an MA in Geography and MSc in Earth Futures. Her work explores environmental and social justice, and the connections between humans and the “natural” world. She draws inspiration from folklore, her love of animals, and the mundane everyday, writing in both Gaelic and English. During her time at Cove Park she will be working on her first Gaelic children’s novel – a dystopian story set in a near-future Glasgow that explores the loss of nature, justice, and the power of friendship.

Tha sinn toilichte Màiri NicLeòid à Glaschu ainmeachadh mar a’ chiad sgrìobhadair a gheibh an cothrom seo. Rugadh ’s a thogadh i ann an Glaschu agus tha i moiteil às an dualchas Ghàidhealach aice agus às a cuid Gàidhlig. Thug i a-mach ceum MA ann an Cruinn-eòlas agus MSc ann an “Earth Futures”. Tha an obair aice a’ coimhead air ceartas àrainneachd agus sòisealta agus air na dàibhean eadar mac-an-duine agus an saoghal “nàdarra”, agus tha i air a brosnachadh le beul-aithris, air a’ ghaol a th’ aice air beathaichean agus air gnothaichean àbhaisteach làitheil. Fhad ’s a bhios i aig Cove Park bidh i ag obair air a’ chiad nobhail aice do chloinn – sgeul “dystopian” suidhichte ann an Glaschu san àm ri teachd, a bhios a’ coimhead air call nàdar agus ceartas, agus air a’ chumhachd a tha an lùib càirdeas.

Programme Mentor

Iain Finlay is from the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland. He has written over fifty dramatic works which have been performed professionally for theatre, television and radio.
His work for theatre has been shown in a number of countries  – the US, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and London. Some of his plays are ‘Whisky Galore’(adaptation), ‘Somersaults’ (National Theatre of Scotland), The Bends (RSAMD), ‘The Devil Masters’, ‘The Pearlfisher’, ‘I was a Beautiful Day’, ‘Broke’ and ‘Homers’, (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh).
Iain Finlay wrote ‘St Kilda – The Opera’, a large scale multi-discipline theatre piece which was shown at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2009.  This was shown simultaneously in five different countries in 2008. He was the writer on the ‘Archipelago’ project, run by French Theatre company ‘Eolie Songe’ over a number of years, with young actors from France, Spain, Greece and Turkey.
He has written a number of plays for radio, among them ‘Mr Anwar’s Farewell to Stornoway’, ‘The Pearlfisher’ (Radio 4) and ‘Frozen’ (Radio Scotland). He has worked as an adaptor of works for radio – “The Black House” by Peter May (four parter for BBC Radio Scotland), “The Kitchen Child” by Angela Carter (BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour), “Raven Black” and “White Nights” by Anne Cleeves (BBC Radio 4 Saturday Plays). He has written two short stories for Radio 4 – “Rock of Eye” and “Hallaig”.
Film work includes a section of “The Innaccessible Pinnacle”, which was nominated for two Bafta awards in writing categories. He has published four novels in the Gaelic language.
Iain Finlay was Associate Artist at the National Theatre of Scotland from 2013-2015 . He was the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellow in 2009-2010. He was writer-in-residence at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the Gaelic College in Skye, for two years. He was also Associate Playwright at the Scottish Playwright’s Society for two years.

Is ann à Eilean Leòdhais a tha Iain Fionnlagh. Tha e air còrr air leth-cheud dràma a sgrìobhadh, a chaidh a thaisbeanadh gu proifeiseanta air telebhisean, rèidio agus air an àrd-ùrlar.

Chaidh an obair thèatair aige a thaisbeanadh ann an diofar dhùthchanan – sna Stàitean Aonaichte, san Fhraing, sa Ghearmailt, san Ostair, sa Bheilg agus ann an Lunnainn. Nam measg bha: ‘Whisky Galore’ (tionndadh airson àrd-ùrlar) agus ‘Somersaults’ (National Theatre of Scotland), ‘The Bends’ (RSAMD), agus ‘The Devil Masters’, ‘The Pearlfisher’, ‘I was a Beautiful Day’, ‘Broke’ agus ‘Homers’ (Traverse Theatre, Dùn Èideann.

Sgrìobh Iain Fionnlagh ‘Opara Hiort’, obair thèatair mhòr eadar-dhiosabplaineach a chaidh a thaisbeanadh aig Fèis Eadar-nàiseanta Dhùn Èideann ann an 2009. Chaidh a thaisbeanadh aig an dearbh àm ann an còig diofar dhùthchanan ann an 2008. B’ esan an sgrìobhadair air a’ phròiseact ‘Archipelago’, air a’ ruith leis a’ chompanaidh Fhrangaich ‘Eolie Songe’ thairis air grunn bhliadhnaichean, le cleasaichean òga às an Fhraing, an Spàinn, a’ Ghrèig agus an Tuirc.

Tha e air grunn dhealbhan-cluiche rèidio a sgrìobhadh, nam measg ‘Mr Anwar’s Farewell to Stornoway’, ‘The Pearlfisher’ (Radio 4) agus ‘Frozen’ (Radio Scotland). Tha e air tionndaidhean rèidio a dhèanamh de leabhraichean mar ‘The Black House’ le Peter May (sreath de cheithir prògraman airson BBC Radio Scotland), ‘The Kitchen Child’ le Angela Carter (BBC Radio 4 Women’s Hour), ‘Raven Black’ agus ‘White Nights’ le Anne Cleeves (BBC Radio 4 Saturday Plays). Tha e air dà sgeulachd ghoirid a sgrìobhadh airson Radio 4 – ‘Rock of Eye’ agus ‘Hallaig’.

Tha an obair aige air filmichean a’ gabhail a-steach pàirt den sgriobt airson ‘The Innaccessible Pinnacle’, a chaidh ainmeachadh airson dà BhAFTA airson sgrìobhadh. Tha e air ceithir nobhailean fhoillseachadh ann an Gàidhlig.

Bha Iain Fionnlagh na Neach-ealain an Co-bhann aig Thèatar Nàiseanta na h-Alba bho 2013-2015. Bha e na Chompàirtiche Robert Louis Steenson ann an 2009-10. Bha e na sgrìobhadair air mh

 

 

 

Image: Mairi Macleod.