U of T Scottish-Gaelic Concert to launch new book
Canada’s Scottish-Gaelic literature subject of new book
Michael Newton’s new book, an anthology of Gaelic poetry and prose recovering select writings of Canadian Gaels will be launched with events at the University of Toronto and at the University of Guelph in late September.
Seanchaidh na Coille / Memory-Keeper of the Forest: Anthology of Scottish-Gaelic Literature of Canada gives voice to the experience of Gaelic Canadians through a broad set of themes: migration, politics, religion, family life, identity, social organizations and more. It’s the first book of its kind in Canada.
For the Toronto launch, Michael will collaborate with Nova Scotian Gaelic poet and singer Lewis MacKinnon, author of two collections of Gaelic poetry from CBU Press, Famhair, agus dàin Ghàidhlig eile (Giant, and Other Gaelic poems), 2008 and Rudan Mì-bheanailteach is an Cothroman, Dàin (Intangible Possibilities, Poems)
The pair will read and perform a number of excerpts from the anthology, a selection of songs and recitative readings describing Highland migration to Ontario and documenting the challenges to their settlement and existence as a people, as well as celebrating their survival.
The event will be hosted by University of Toronto’s Celtic Studies Course Union and Comunn Gàidhlig Thoronto / Gaelic Society of Toronto on Friday, September 25, 2015, at 7:30 p.m., at Sheraton Hall at Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1H7. Tickets are available from the Comunn Gàidhlig Thoronto website. Michael Newton will also speak at the 2015 Guelph Scottish Studies Symposium on Saturday, September 26.
Michael Newton has written extensively about Scottish Gaelic tradition, culture, history and literature, in Scotland and North America. His most recent publications are The Naughty Little Book of Gaelic: All the Scottish-Gaelic you need to Curse, Swear, Drink, Smoke and Fool Around (CBU Press, 2014) and Celts in the Americas, an edited collection of papers on the subject.
Lewis MacKinnon is a Nova Scotian Gaelic poet, singer and advocate, the author of two collections of Gaelic and English poetry and he is the reigning Scottish Bard, the first poet from outside of Scotland in the more than 100-year history of the Royal National Mod. He is also Executive Director of Gaelic Affairs, a Division of the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Government of Nova Scotia.