Arts / Murray recognised for his contribution to Scottish literature
SHETLAND-based writer Donald S Murray’ s contributions to Scottish literature is recognised during a ceremony in Edinburgh on Friday night.
Murray, who hails from Lewis in the Western Isles, is one of ten poets and academics from around the world who is being awarded with an honorary fellowship of the Association for Scottish Literature (ASL) at the University of Edinburgh.
Murray said he was “thrilled” being awarded the fellowship. He said he was delighted to join Shetlanders Christina de Luca and Mary Blance as fellows of the ASL.
Other fellows include Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney, writers Kathleen Jamie and William McIlvanney and folk singer Dick Gaughan as well as various academics and publishers.
“Clearly I’m thrilled to have won this award,” he said. “There are a number of people with Shetland connections to whom I owe a great deal of gratitude.
“They include the likes of the late Alex Cluness, who provided me with support and guidance for my first novel, and Donald Anderson who inspired me to write songs.
“Both these individuals worked for Shetland Arts some time ago and were fantastic in their encouragement.”
Murray added that one of the benefits of working with Anderson was the realisation of the Metagama: Atlantic Odyssey concerts which is touring Scotland in October and November.
The poet has published a large body of prose and poetry, including his critically acclaimed novel As the Women Lay Dreaming and the play Sequamur, which has been allocated to over 100 secondary schools in Scotland and has become part of the English Higher course for pupils.
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