Celtic studies scholar Michael Newton, formerly of St. Francis Xavier University and now at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will be recognized for his considerable contribution to Scottish studies by the Scottish Heritage Center at St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, NC.

Newton’s latest book, The Naughty Little Book of Gaelic (All the Scottish Gaelic You Need to Curse, Swear, Drink, Smoke and Fool Around), published by CBU Press, will be launched at the  25^th annual Scottish Heritage Weekend Symposium (April 4-6, 2014) in Laurinburg.

Michael Newton is recognized as one of the top scholars of Scottish Studies in the United States at present. He received his PhD in Celtic Studies from the University of Edinburgh. He taught in the Celtic Studies dept. at St. Francis Xavier University from 2008-13.

Now a resident of North Carolina, he is working as Technical Lead in the Digital Humanities Lab at UNC-CH. He has published an abundance of articles on Scottish Gaelic history, culture, music and literature in recent years and his latest books include Warriors of the Word: The World of the Scottish Highlanders (Birlinn, 2009), and Celts in the Americas (CBU Press, 2013).

Newton will be receiving the inaugural Saltire Award from the St. Andrews University Scottish Heritage Center for his considerable contributions to the study of Scottish and Gaelic history and culture. His latest book will be formally launched during the weekend’s events.

Last year, CBU Press author June Skinner Sawyers (Bearing the People Away: The Portable Highland Clearances Companion, 2013) was honoured by the same centre with its Flora MacDonald Award for her many books on Scots heritage.

This year’s symposium will also commemorate the 250^th anniversary of the first group of Highland Scots to settle in North Carolina.

Illustrated by Arden Powell, The Naughty Little Book of Gaelic goes on sale in Canada and worldwide in mid-April.