Poet Jim ‘chuffed’ at his makar role
Perth is home to the new ‘makar’ - Scottish poet laureate - appointed by the Federation of Writers Scotland.
Renowned Perthshire poet Jim Mackintosh was told he had the top ambassadorial honour on the same day as the US election was decided, so with all the fuss there was little spotlight given to his achievement then.
But he was officially installed as the new FWS makar for 2121 at the federation’s Christmas event ‘Tinsel Tales’ in December, hosted on Zoom.
The FWS is an association of writers for writers, open to all, based in Glasgow.
On receiving his shield, Jim told the PA he was “actually fair chuffed.”
Jim is well known for writing in both Scots and English and his work is popular both across Scotland and internationally.
His musings on lockdown and COVID-19 ‘Elements of Isolation’ were published in the PA when they were first put down in text this summer.
The role of makar is mainly ambassadorial, but Jim also has important duties including judging the FWS competition and empowering writers at whatever stage of their careers.
The FWS chair Jenifer Harley said: “We’re delighted that Jim has accepted the invitation to be our makar for 2021 and we are looking forward to working with Jim on various projects and drawing from his poetic experience, especially his collaborations with other creative disciplines.
“His reputation is well earned as an advocate of the best in Scottish writing and someone who supports important initiatives by harnessing writing talents across the nation in such publications as ‘The Darg’, an anthology of new poetry celebrating the centenary of Hamish Henderson’s birth, and also ‘Mind the Time’, an anthology of poetry published in support part of the Football Memories project and Alzheimer’s Scotland.”
Jim is currently the makar of the Cateran EcoMuseum, a museum without walls celebrating the landscape and treasures of east Perthshire and the Angus glens.
He is also currently working with Perth Theatre, responding to the lockdown of the arts industry through public responses and also projects like Hidden Voices encouraging poetry from the inmates across Scotland’s prison estate with a football specific project being launched in the spring.