Suffolk Poetry Society hosts Sorley celebration

SUFFOLK POETRY SOCIETY this weekend  offers  its own  small celebration of Sorley MacLean’s poetry  within a larger schedule of poetry and ‘soundings’ on Saturday 25th June 2011 at the Quaker Meeting House, St John’s Street, Bury St Edmunds. Cameron Hawke Smith, one of the organisers of the Suffolk event,  is just returned from participating in the four days of celebration and critical debate on Skye and Raasay at the Ainmeil Thar Cheudan: A Centenary Celebration of Sorley MacLean (1911-2011) event.

The Suffolk poetry event includes contributions from Anna McCrae a native Gaidhlig speaker from Barra, a singer and teacher of drama and an active member of the Gaelic Society of London. James Knox Whittet  will also contribute. He was born in Islay, now living in Norfolk and is the author of several books including 100 Island Poems. His version of Hallaig was commended in the Stephen Spender Translation Prize. Cameron Hawke Smith, is a former archaeologist, museum curator and now amateur poet and translator. See his own blog site at  www.demodikos.com
All are members of Suffolk Poetry Society www.suffolkpoetrysociety.org.uk. The website www.poetryaloud.org.ukfrom the Bury St Edmunds Poetry cafe has a constantly updated publication of poems,events, etc.

Timetable for the day below

2.00pm Welcome: Rob Lock from Poetry Aloud

The mild mad dogs of poetry

The Gaelic tradition and the poetry of Sorley MacLean, in the  year of the centenary of his birth. Anna McCrae, James Knox Whittet, Cameron Hawke Smith

Interlude: Ceirwin Tomas Welsh   harpist

2.45pm

The house of many tongues

Some of the ancient and modern languages of the poetry of the British Isles and beyond explored by Ian Griffiths, Cameron Hawke
Smith, Joan Sheridan Smith, Anne Boileau & David Simpson, Helen Bourne

around 3.30 Tea Break, with music from

Ceirwin Tomas and

Colin Whyles

4.00pm

The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet  airs

Some dialect poetry

Scots – Anna McCrae and Cameron Hawke Smith

Yorkshire – Carol Bleiker

Lincolnshire – Colin Whyles

Wiltshire/Dorset – Michael Stagg

Suffolk – Beryl Dyson

4.30pm Guest poets

J.S.Watts, author of Cats  and Other Myths (Lapwing Publications)

Clare Crossman, author of Going  Back
(Firewater Press) and The Shape of Us (Shoestring Press): My Silences are always enemies, the poetry of Elizabeth Jennings

5.15pm

Clamjamfry

A lighthearted ‘open mic’ opportunity for everyone to entertain  us with a sound poem. Invitations to all to contribute!

5.30 pm close

Ainmeil Thar Cheudan 2011 Final Programme posted.

The final programme for the  centenary celebration of Sorley MacLean’s life and work at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig June 15-18 2011 is now available at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s event website http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/A-Cholaiste/Naidheachdan/somhairle/clar-ama_en.html. The programme details a rich and distinguised list of poets, scholars, musicians, singers, and many friends and colleagues, coming together to celebrate Sorley’s life and work. The plenary speakers and academic paper abstracts are also detailed here in full.

On Wednesday the programme features a night of island music and poetry.  Thursday and Friday offer  two full days of  academic papers, panel discussions, readings, island film screening, and exhibitions. On Saturday 18th June, and in association with Urras Dualchas Ratharsair,  the island studies focus moves to Sorley’s  birthplace, the island of Raasay  for a full day of walks, talks, music and poetry. For specific details on how to book for this Raasay event please go to http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/A-Cholaiste/Naidheachdan/somhairle/raasay_en.html

‘Hallaig’ film screening and talk, Isle of Skye, June 2011

On June 16th the Scottish Centre for Island Studies, University of the West of Scotland and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture,  will host a three day event, Ainmeil Thar Cheudan – Renowned over Hundreds, honouring MacLean’s legacy.  As part of this celebration  the event offers a screening of  Somhairle MacGill-Eain: A Bhàrdachd agus A Shealladh, the 1986 BBC Alba Gaelic version (sub-titled) of Hallaig: the poetry and landscape of Sorley MacLean directed by Timothy Neat. The screening will feature a short talk  by the director Timothy Neat, introduced by Ray Burnett, Honorary Research Fellow, Scottish Centre for Island Studies, University of the West of Scotland.

The event is sponsored by Morrison Construction, Scottish Islands Writers Network, Creative Scotland and Scotland’s Islands.

Anyone interested in attending the event should visit the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig website www.smo.uhi.ac.uk  or telephone 01471 888000.

Book by 29th April for Sorley MacLean 2011

Booking & Costs are detailed at the event website.

For all event information  including booking and registration, keynotes, programme please access the event website hosted at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig at:

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/A-Cholaiste/Naidheachdan/somhairle/index_en.html

Delegates can choose to stay on campus for the duration of the conference at a rate of £275 which includes 3 nights accommodation, full board and conference dinner. A daily delegate rate of £35 not including accommodation is also available, as are special discounted rates for students.

To book your place at the conference fill in our ONLINE BOOKING FORM or contact Sandra Byrne on 01471 888 000 or by e-mail.
Closing Date for registrations 29 April 2011

Ainmeil Thar Cheudan: A Centenary Celebration of Sorley MacLean (1911-2011)

Ainmeal Thar Cheudan

A Centenary Celebration of Sorley MacLean (1911-2011) Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 June 2011 Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Isle of Skye In commemoration of the centenary of the birth of Sorley MacLean (1911 – 1996) Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and the Scottish Centre for Island Studies, Faculty of Business and Creative Industries, University of the West of Scotland invite you to join in a celebration of his life, work and legacy. It is anticipated that this event will offer a range of academic and creative responses to Sorley’s cultural and political legacy with particular attention to his deep roots and referencing of island culture, history and experience. Furthermore, this proposed event will explore, with both established and more recently introduced scholars and artists, the significance and importance of Sorley MacLean within the wider context of the national culture of Scotland, the cultural terrain of the Highlands and Islands, and the cultural engagement of the 20th century Scottish left. The academic focus will be a two day event structured around a selection of papers and discussion panels, as well as performance and creative practice activity detailing both Sorley’s own work and his inspiration to others. In keeping with the internationalist perspectives that permeate Sorley’s own work, the event will be framed as an opportunity to offer an appreciation of what experiences and understanding of island life and culture, and of an island sense of place and dwelling, specifically but not exclusively in reference to Scotland, informed Sorley in his creative work and commentary. Online Booking: Access  event website at http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/A-Cholaiste/Naidheachdan/somhairle/index_en.html

Ainmeal Thar Cheudan Sorley MacLean Centenary Research Event 2011

The Scottish Centre for Island Studies, at University of the West of Scotland will hold a centenary celebration research event in partnership with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI and the Sorley MacLean Trust.  http://www.uws.ac.uk/schoolsdepts/mlm/sorley-maclean/index.asp 

Ainmeal Thar Cheudan

A Centenary Celebration of Sorley MacLean (1911-2011) Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 June 2011 Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Isle of Skye In commemoration of the centenary of the birth of Sorley MacLean (1911 – 1996) Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and the Scottish Centre for Island Studies, Faculty of Business and Creative Industries, University of the West of Scotland invite you to join in a celebration of his life, work and legacy. It is anticipated that this event will offer a range of academic and creative responses to Sorley’s cultural and political legacy with particular attention to his deep roots and referencing of island culture, history and experience. Furthermore, this proposed event will explore, with both established and more recently introduced scholars and artists, the significance and importance of Sorley MacLean within the wider context of the national culture of Scotland, the cultural terrain of the Highlands and Islands, and the cultural engagement of the 20th century Scottish left. The academic focus will be a two day event structured around a selection of papers and discussion panels, as well as performance and creative practice activity detailing both Sorley’s own work and his inspiration to others. In keeping with the internationalist perspectives that permeate Sorley’s own work, the event will be framed as an opportunity to offer an appreciation of what experiences and understanding of island life and culture, and of an island sense of place and dwelling, specifically but not exclusively in reference to Scotland, informed Sorley in his creative work and commentary.

Please  contact either Kathryn A. Burnett ( kathryn.burnett@uws.ac.uk)  or Ray Burnett (ray.burnett@uws.ac.uk)  for information on SCIS’s partnership in this key event. For link  to download call for papers, event details and further booking information connect to: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/A-Cholaiste/Naidheachdan/somhairle/index_en.html