Press Releases

Magi is Stirling’s Makar

Monday, 26th January, 2009

Stirling Council has appointed writer, poet and performer, Magi Gibson as the City's Makar, who will promote poetry throughout the area for the next three years.

The Burns night announcement was a unanimous decision by the nominations panel chaired by Stirling’s Provost Fergus Wood and consisted of various members of local writing and literary groups.  The nominations process drew interest from as far afield as Nova Scotia and India, as well as a large number local poets, and poets with a strong connection to the Stirling area.  

Originally from Kilsyth, Magi has lived and worked for most of her adult life in rural Stirling.  She graduated from Glasgow University with an M.A. in French and German language and literature, and trained as a secondary school teacher and subsequently became a workshop facilitator for the Workers’ Educational Association specializing in working with adults from marginalized groups in society.

Magi Gibson has held three Scottish Arts Council Creative Writing Fellowships and one Royal Literary Fellowship. She has published four collections of poetry and has contributed to several Scottish Poetry Library Work Packs for teachers, and devised the National Poetry Day/Bob Dylan Lesson Plans for teachers.  She is in demand for workshops with children of all ages and was awarded a Scottish Arts Council Bursary in 2007 for writing for children.  She is currently working on a series of novels.

On her appointment, Magi explained: “I've lived and worked in the Stirling area for most of my life.”

“Stirling's where I first cut my teeth as a poet back in the mid-eighties, and where I developed as a writer.  I taught Creative Writing in Stirling for more than twenty years. I worked mostly in the city, but lived in the rural areas - Gargunnock, Ruskie and Callander. I've always been identified nationally as a 'Stirling' poet, so I was excited at the prospect of being appointed as the first Makar in 500 years.”

When asked what the post of Makar brings to Stirling, Magi said: “A community that makes such an appointment is showing an awareness of the importance of the spiritual and cultural side of life. I've worked with communities all over Scotland and wherever I go I find people have a huge love of poetry. Look at how many people celebrate Burns Day. Unfortunately too often they've been turned off poetry at school by being required to connect with it, not on a spiritual level, but in an analytical way. I've long been an advocate of people reclaiming poetry for themselves.”

She added: “The post of Makar puts the poet back in the centre of the community. As a ceremonial position it reconnects the new City of Stirling with its historic past when the royal court had its own Makar.

“One of the important tasks for the Makar is to nurture an enthusiasm for poetry. In the past I've worked as a poet with many communities in Scotland from Orkney to Peebles.  I have a huge experience in working with poetry and people in all kinds of settings from infant class to university.  It's great that I can bring my years of experience as a poet and writer to foster poetry in my home area.

“I'm very keen to use my post as Makar to find and encourage the poets who live in and around Stirling. I will feature our local talent through my choice of monthly poem for the council. I also hope to host a website, accessible all round the world, to showcase the best of poetry from Stirling. I look forward to developing a programme of workshops with local schools. And I would love to see even more poetry books in our libraries.  Encouraging children to read and love poetry will be a very important part of my role.”

Provost Fergus Wood added: “This is a magnificent opportunity for Stirling to promote its tremendous literary heritage in the 21^st Century. As well as promoting poetry generally throughout the area, the Makar will compose one poem annually about the area and select one poem a month for publication.  She will also have some involvement in the City’s homecoming celebrations and our Book Festival in September.  I look forward to working with the new Makar on making sure that the opportunities for raising awareness of poetry are maximised throughout the whole Stirling area, not least in our schools.  Magi also writes in the Scots tongue, which will help foster this important part of our heritage among our young people.”

Historically, Stirling was the favoured court of the Stewart Kings, and the Makars were very much associated with the patronage and place of the court.  

Stirling has a rich and glorious literary tradition, which flourishes to this day with the many contemporary writers and poets who live in the area.  The Stirling Literary Society is also one of the best and busiest societies of its kind in Scotland.

For more information on Stirling’s new Maker, please see http://www.magigibson.co.uk/

Image shows Stirling Provost Fergus Wood congratulating Magi Gibson on her appointment as Makar.