Smith, Iain Crichton

(1928-1998)

   Although born in Glasgow, he was brought up on the Gaelic speaking Hebridean Island of Lewis, with English as his second language. After graduating in English from Aberdeen University in 1949, and following National Service, he taught English at various high schools until he retired in 1977 to become a full-time writer. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1980 and won several literary prizes, awards and fellowships. Three Scottish uni366 versities awarded him honorary doctorates. He died at Oban, Argyllshire. He wrote in both English and Gaelic; a number of his poems explore the subject of the Highland Clearances, and one of his many novels, Consider the Lilies (1968), is an account of the eviction of an elderly woman during such times. Some of his publications: Modern Gaelic Verse, 1966. Selected Poems, 1970. Love Poems and Elegies, 1972. Selected Poems 1955-1982, 1982. Selected Poems, 1990. Collected Poems, 1992. Some of his poems: "Australia," "Culloden and After," "Deer on the High Hills: A Meditation," "Gaelic Songs," "Owl and Mouse," "Shall Gaelic Die?" "Towards the Stars."

   Sources: A Book of Scottish Verse. Maurice Lindsay and R.L. Mackie, eds. St. Martin's Press, 1983. Golden Treasury of the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language. Francis Turner Palgrave, ed. Oxford University Press, 1964, Sixth edition, updated by John Press, 1994. The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The Harvill Book of Twentieth-Century Poetry in English. Michael Schmidt, ed. The Harvill Press, 1999. The New Penguin Book of Scottish Verse. Robert Crawford and Mick Imlah, eds. Penguin Books, 2000. The Oxford Book of Animal Poems. Michael Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark, eds. Oxford University Press, 1992. The Oxford Companion to English Literature. 6th edition. Margaret Drabble, ed. Oxford University Press, 2000. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia).