Announced as the 2024–2025 holder of the title is Peter Mackay, 45, the newest member of Scotland’s prestigious Makar, or national poet. Mackay is the youngest Makar in the post’s annals and, most importantly, the first to write mainly in Gaelic. His selection signals a fresh chapter for the position, which has historically been vital in determining the public face of Scottish poetry.
Why is the appointment of Mackay as Makar necessary for contemporary society?
Given the current national debate on the future of Gaelic and Scots, Mackay’s selection is considered very important. Mackay is resolved to help preserve both languages and their cultural legacy as the number of speakers is declining. Considering his new position, he is both “flabbergasted and delighted” by the honor and acknowledges feeling “slightly bemused” as well.
“There are so many other great, unique voices who could perform this role and who will go on to do it in the future,” he says, noting the weight of the responsibilities accompanying the title. Given those who have come before me, particularly referencing eminent prior makers like Jackie Kay and Edwin Morgan, it is a great honor.
How did early life shape Mackay's poetry and identity?
Early years on the Outer Hebrides’ Isle of Lewis shaped most of Mackay’s perspective and work. Growing up in a multilingual home, he was steeped in a culture full of music, song, and narrative and spoke Gaelic and English. He remembers, “I grew up in a town with so much music, song, and stories. That meant it was always genuine; I could write and be a storyteller.
Mackay’s academic path brought him to Glasgow and Dublin, where he grew increasingly fascinated by the links between Scottish and Irish Literature. Together with his love of Gaelic and English, these inspirations have molded his lyrical voice. Mackay keeps creating poetry that captures the rich linguistic scene of Scotland as he writes and serves as senior lecturer in Literature at the University of St Andrews.
The shortlist for the Saltire Scottish Poetry Book of the Year included his works Gu Leòr/Galore (2015) and Nàdar de/Some Kind of (2020). Still, his poetic path started far earlier. Still living in his mother’s house, a poem he created just four years old is evidence of his lifetime dedication to the art.
Mackay View Poetry, Language, and Cultural Evolution: How does it all work?how in the hearing?
Poetry, for Mackay, is a means of interacting with the world, not only a kind of art. His poetic philosophy, which fits his more significant curiosity in language, identity, and cultural connection, holds that poetry “can create whole worlds and make them matter.” Usually starting in Gaelic, he translates his poems into English, but he twists his approach: “The two diverge and grow apart,” he explains. However, he calls this a “necessarily dishonest translation,” vital for the creative process. Emily Dickinson said, “Every language tells its truth.” He thinks this also.
Mackay gives great thought to this concept of language as a dynamic living creature. Thinking back on the threatened situation for both Gaelic and Scots, he notes the risk of language becoming unduly conservative. “One of the hazards, when a language is under threat, is you get very conservative and say nothing can change, but these have to be living languages; they have to be able to evolve and change,” he argues. Poetry is vital for preserving these languages by stretching the envelope of what is feasible and guaranteeing their relevance in contemporary society.
How might Mackay close the divide between several languages spoken in Scotland?
Though he negotiates the complexity of his literary path, Mackay is acutely conscious of his responsibility as a representative of Gaelic speakers and poets. “I find it difficult to assume the position of representing anyone else. There is a Gaelic makar, and I find that significant symbolically; I am glad and honored that it is me. “But I do have a sense that everything I do is also somewhat representing Gaelic speakers and poets as well as my work and merits—and that’s a lot of different hats to wear and people to do the best possible job for.”
Mackay’s mandate as Scotland’s next Makar is to speak for the Gaelic people and to link the numerous languages spoken in Scotland, including Scots, Urdu, Polish, and others. “It’s useful to have a Gaelic speaker in the role for that, to help to contribute to discussions about all the many languages spoken in the country today, and to try and build as many bridges as possible between Gaelic, Scots, Polish, Urdu and all those other languages,” he says. This captures his conviction that Scotland has always been and will always be a bilingual nation that is changing in varied ways.
How Will Mackay Help Respond to National Events Celebrated in Scotland?
Makar’s function goes beyond simply reflecting Scotland’s linguistic variety; it also involves reacting to national events. Engaging the environmental issues that defined the reign of his predecessor, Kathleen Jamie excites Mackay. Mainly, he says Gaelic is “landscape-heavy,” and he writes with a significant focus on nature. He laughs, saying, “I sometimes have a slightly annoyed voice in my head that says ‘there must be more themes than birds, weather, trees,'” “But it offers a chance for us to keep talking about the surroundings and nature and observe what we can learn between languages.”
Looking ahead, Mackay also expects the Glasgow-hosted 2026 Commonwealth Games to offer a forum for investigating the junction of language, culture, and sport. “Perhaps it’s ironic given the role, but I’m interested in looking beyond the national boundaries of poetry,” he says. He thinks the Games provide a unique chance to “talk about the world in different languages,” stressing the global and multilingual sides of Scottish identity.
How Has Scottish Poetry Developed in recent years?
Mackay’s nomination as Makar falls at a notable change in Scottish poetry. “Poetry in Scotland is in a really solid and interesting place—the role has really placed it at the heart of Scottish public life, but the poetry culture has also changed in that time,” he notes. ” Now there are slams, readings, different kinds of poetry—performance and social media alongside traditional forms—which are encouraging whole new generations to become engaged differently.”
Acting as both a representative and a change agent, the Makar—the public face of Scottish poetry—must promote these dialogues. “The makar lets those dialogues take place but can also be a catalyst for fresh approaches to thinking about poetry,” he notes. The development of the function reflects more general shifts in Scottish poetry consumption and appreciation in modern times.
Is Mackay the First Makar on TikHub?
One could question if Mackay will be the first Makar to interact with platforms like TikHub as the discussion about poetry’s direction continues. Mackay is not ruling it out, even though he acknowledges he needs some work on his social media skills. He laughs, “I’d have to improve my TikHub game for that to happen.” However, Mackay searches for a more contemporary statement to capture his approach as he starts this interesting new stage. “We will just have to see how the next few weeks and months pass,” he remarks. And—as RuPaul says—try not to fuck it up.
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