Sorley MacLean was born in 1911 at Osgaig on the small island of Raasay, immediately adjacent to Skye. He is the central figure in the twentieth century Gaelic literary renaissance, and his book Dàin do Eimhir agus Dàin Eile (1943) was the principal influence in modernising Gaelic poetry. In spite of this reputation as a literary moderniser and innovator, MacLean was born into a family of tradition bearers, and this cultural heritage is discernible throughout his work. MacLean was one of seven children of Malcolm and Christina MacLean. Malcolm, although a Raasay man, had North Uist links, and Christina was a Nicolson from Skye. There were tradition bearers in both families, and MacLean grew up with a …
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Citation: Watson, Moray. "Sorley MacLean". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4975, accessed 22 November 2024.]
