Deo
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Grace Note Publications
Published:7th Oct '13
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
In Deo, Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, an up and coming young poet, released his first collection of Poems in Scottish Gaelic. This book is fully bilingual Gaelic - English. In his foreword by Martin MacIntyre, he says: "I was privileged to be given a sneak preview of Marcus's work in progress over the last two years or so; you now have the pleasure collected here in 'Deo' and desirous of your active reading. These poems take us to many places, both physical and emotional, and they do so in carefully crafted apposite language. Fear, darkness and regret are there but also joy and hope and pursuit of a richer world. We often meet love. As is her wont, her capricious nature reveals anger, dissatisfaction, and bewilderment even, that she is not properly understood. She is also though capable of forgiveness, of falling head-over-heels, and does not conceal wonder at how deeply she has been stirred from placid repose."
Review: Eile Magazine Issue 06 -November 2013 For as well-established as gay-themed poetry is in English-language literature, it is still but a fledgling form in the literary worlds of the Gaelic languages. While Irish has its fair share of modern gay writers - Micheal6 Conghaile and Alex Hijmans, to name two of the most recent- the same cannot be said for that of its sister language, Scottish Gaelic. That might soon change, however, with the introduction of gay writer, Mark Spencer Turner - better known to Gaelic speakers as Marcas Mac an Tuirneir. Deo (meaning 'breath') is the first poetry collection from Mac an Tuirneir, who is originally from York but studied at Aberdeen University, where he learned Gaelic. The collection is written in Scottish Gaelic with English translations on the opposite page, facilitating those whose 'Gaidhlig' ranges from rusty to non-existant. Deo explores the journeys of youth from many perspectives, taking inspiration from such places as Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Alicante, Ireland and his home city of York. The imagery in much of this poetry is strikingly beautiful and strong, taking inspiration from physical, emotional, erotic and even linguistic landscapes. In Sluagh- Ghairm (Battlecry) he plays with the concept of the gay 'closet' when addressing the topic of Gaelic in Scotland, using the word and its meaning in both Gaelic and English: Cha dhaibhsan a tha mi a' sgriobhadh, Ach do fhleasgaichean bana, diuid, Sgaraicht' eadar closaid leis an aodach Is closaid eile leis a' chac. It's not for them that I'm writing, But for the timmering, gentle lad, Stuck between one closet with the clothing And another closet with the crap. As many of his poems are powerfully descriptive, Mac an Tuirneir proves his worth with Deo, showing his beautiful mastery of the Gaelic language and of poetry in general. There is a musicality to his writing that is hard to find in modern Gaeilic literature, especially when dealing with translations and idioms. Deo is a welcome addition to the world of Gaelic poetry, as well as its new gay sub-genre.
ISBN: 9781907676390
Dimensions: 203mm x 133mm x 9mm
Weight: 232g
150 pages