Norman MacCaig
(born 14 November 1910 - died 23 January 1996) - Edinburgh
Poet Norman MacCaig was born in Edinburgh but shared his time between the capital and Assynt in Sutherland. Initially a primary school teacher, MacCaig later worked at Edinburgh and Stirling Universities reading creative writing and poetry. A conscientious objector during World War II, MacCaig remained a committed pacifist throughout his life.
Sharing his time between the city and the far north of Scotland influenced much of his poetry; the contrasts were for him complementary rather than contradictory. His first poetry collection, Far Cry, was published in 1943, the second, The Inward Eye, in 1955; both of these collections were classed as part of the 'New Apocalypse' movement. Later works were much more individual and hard to classify - which is probably how MacCaig liked it.
In 1975 MacCaig won the Cholmondeley Award, and in 1986 he won the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. His Collected Poems first appeared in 1985 and has been reissued several times, the last edition of which appeared in 2010.
Although his mother was a Gaelic speaker, Norman MacCaig only wrote in English. He died in Edinburgh in January 1996.
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Add to BasketThe Many Days: Selected Poems Of Norman MacCaig
£8.49
- Paperback - Polygon
Published to mark the centenary of Norman MacCaig's birth, 'The Many Days' aims to strike a balance between representing the much-loved poems that any reader would expect to find in a selected MacCaig, and other less familiar verses. -
Add to BasketThe Poems Of Norman MacCaig
£17.00
- Paperback - Polygon
MacCaig's life and poetry were principally divided into two parts, represented by two locales - his home city of Edinburgh provided contrast with his holiday home in Assynt, a remote area in north-west Scotland where he spend much time, especially in the summer months. -
Selected Poems
£8.49
- Paperback - Chatto & Windus
Norman MacCaig, who died in 1996, is one of the most popular contemporary poets in English. Selected Poems collects his best work from over 40 years, including some hitherto uncollected poems, and is the standard edition of his work.
Bibliography
- Far Cry - 1943
- The Inward Eye - 1946
- Riding Lights - 1955
- The Sinai Sort - 1957
- A Common Grace - 1960
- A Round of Applause - 1962
- Measures - 1965
- Surroundings - 1966
- Rings on a Tree - 1968
- A Man in My Position - 1969
- The White Bird - 1973
- The Worlds Room - 1974
- Tree of Strings - 1977
- Old Maps and New: Selected Poems - 1978
- The Equal Skies - 1980
- A World of Difference - 1983
- Collected Poems - 1985
- Voice-over - 1988
- The Poems of Norman MacCaig - 2005
- Selected Poems - 1997
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Add to Basket19 Poems Of Norman MacCaig
£9.95
- Compact Disc - Association for Scottish Literary Studies
This CD contains readings of 19 poems by the poet Norman MacCaig. -
Norman MacCaig
£12.99
- Paperback - Northcote House
Norman MacCaig, who died in 1996, was a prolific poet whose later poetry is accessible and popular. This study locates him in his literary and social contexts and presents his work according to its major emphases.
Internet Links
- Wikipedia Entry for Norman MacCaig
- National Library of Scotland: The Write Stuff
- BBC Writing Scotland biography of MacCaig
- Scottish Poetry Library: Norman MacCaig
- The Independent Obituary of Norman MacCaig
- Andrew Greig on Norman MacCaig
- Alan Taylor on meeting Norman MacCaig









