Iain Crichton Smith
(born 1 January 1928 - died 15 October 1998) - Glasgow and Isle of Lewis, The Hebrides

Iain Crichton Smith (Iain Mac a'Ghobhainn) was born in Glasgow, Scotland's second-largest city, but moved to the Hebridean island of Lewis when he was two. Raised with his two brothers in a small Gaelic-speaking community, Smith learned English at School and later studied English at the University of Aberdeen. Smith wrote prose and poetry in both English and Gaelic. A school teacher, Smith was also a prolific writer and translator of Gaelic texts. His best-known novel, Consider the Lilies, like many of his poems, explores the cruelty of the Highland Clearances.
Key Titles
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The Black Halo: The Complete English Short Stories, 1977-98
Although best known as one of Scotland's greatest modern poets, Iain Crichton Smith was also a prolific writer of short stories. These pieces form a central part of his oeuvre, demonstrating the range and versatility of his literary talent. -
Collected Poems
This book includes 40 years' work and proves that big themes addressed without the foil of irony acquire resonance when given a local habitation. -
Consider The Lilies
The Highland Clearances have become a dominant theme and potent myth in Scottish fiction. In this work, award winning Iain Crichton Smith focuses on an old woman whose eviction from her croft forces her to reappraise her entire world. -
The Red Door: The Complete English Short Stories, 1949-76
Although best known as one of Scotland's greatest modern poets, Iain Crichton Smith was also a prolific writer of short stories. These pieces form a central part of his oeuvre, demonstrating the range and versatility of his literary talent. -
Thoughts Of Murdo
Dismissed from his job as a bank clerk Murdo sets out to convert all he meets to his extraordinary philosophy and unique vision of the world.
Bibliography
Short story collections:
- Survival without Error - 1970
- The Black and the Red - 1973
- The Hermit and Other Stories - 1977
- Murdo and Other Stories - 1981
- Mr Trill in Hades - 1984
- Selected Stories - 1990
Novels:
- Consider the Lilies - 1968
- The Last Summer - 1969
- My Last Duchess - 1975
- Goodbye, Mr Dixon - 1974
- An r-Aonaran- 1976
- An End to Autumn - 1978
- On the Island - 1979
- A Field Full of Folk - 1982
- The Search - 1983
- The Tenement - 1985
- In the Middle of the Wood - 1987
- An Honourable Death - 1992
- Thoughts of Murdo - 1993
Poetry:
- A Country for Old Men - 2000
- Collected Poems - 2008
Internet Links
- Wikipedia entry on Iain Crichton Smith
- Essay by Edwin Morgan for the Association for Scottish Literary Studies on Iain Crichton Smith






