Flora shares Macdonald of Sleat poetry prize
This year’s Macdonald of Sleat poetry prize is being shared by two winners, Flora MacDonald who wrote The Leaf and Martin MacIntyre with Healing.
The competition, which is run by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in collaboration with Clan Donald Lands Trust, was instituted by Sir Ian Macdonald of Sleat in memory of his daughter, Deborah, who died at an early age.
Flora was born and raised in Benbecula, with historical links to Clanranald. She has a home in North Uist, where she also has links to Macdonald of Sleat, but her permanent residence is in Glasgow. Flora worked at the college on summer short courses for several years and it was there she was inspired to write her poems.
Martin, whose father hails from South Uist, was raised in Lenzie but has lived in Edinburgh for more than 25 years. He was a student at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig from 1990 to 1992 and returned there to work on the Tobar an Dualchais project between 1998 and 2003.
The theme of the competition each year relates to trees and this year an invitation was extended to anyone who writes poetry, or has an interest in doing so, to compose a poem on the subject, Craobh nan Ubhal (the apple tree). Martin’s and Flora’s poems were selected as joint first place by the judges, Professor Meg Bateman and Mark Wringe, both lecturers at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
Flora was presented with her prize at a gathering at the Museum of the Isles in Armadale Castle on Saturday September 28 by Sir Ian Macdonald, chairman of the board of trustees of Clan Donald Lands Trust. Martin was unable to attend the ceremony.