Newton’s “Memory-Keeper” on awards shortlist
Michael Newton’s Seanchaidh na Coille / Memory-Keeper of the Forest has been shortlisted for the Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing, it was announced today in Moncton, host of the Atlantic Book Awards April 27.
Now in its second printing, Seanchaidh na Coille, has received praise from scholars and historians alike for its insightful examination of Scottish Gaelic writing in 18th and 19th-century Canada.
With a foreword by Diana Gabaldon, author of the best-selling Outlander novels (now a major television series), Seanchaidh na Coille is the first anthology of prose and poetry to give voice to the experiences of Gaelic Canadians. A unique resource, it covers a wide range of territory and time, allowing Gaels to express their own opinions about a broad set of themes.
Newton has authored, edited and translated a number of highly regarded books on Scottish Gaels, including the best-selling Naughty Little Book of Gaelic: All the Scottish Gaelic You Need to Curse, Swear, Drink, Smoke and Fool Around (CBU Press 2014). He taught formerly at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish and is presently technology lead at the Carolina digital humanities project, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This was his third book published by CBU Press.
In April 2014, Michael was recipient of the inaugural Saltire Award from the Scottish Heritage Centre, St. Andrews University, Laurinburg, NC. His blog, the Virtual Gael, can be found at https://virtualgael.wordpress.com/.
During Atlantic Book Awards festival week, Newton will give a series of readings and performances from Seanchaidh na Coille, along with Nova Scotia Gaelic poet Lewis MacKinnon, in Sydney, Halifax and Charlottetown.