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 deep awareness of the oral culture and an appreciation of his place within the local…

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Citation: Watson, Moray. "Sorley MacLean". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4975, accessed 28 March 2024.]

4975 Sorley MacLean 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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