Assynt Children's Poetic Talents on Display

As part of the Norman MacCaig centenary celebration, 46 local children have written poems about Assynt. These are now on display all around Lochinver, in shop windows and on noticeboards. They demonstrate that the celebration is not just of the work of a poet from the last century, but also about new poetry inspired by this most beautiful corner of the land.

A booklet of the poems will be launched next week as part of the celebration. Ewen McCaig, Norman's son, has contributed a foreword. He says:"I read the delightful poems in this booklet with much pleasure, which I am sure will be felt by all who love Assynt.  Many of the topics that inspired my father’s Assynt poems can be found here also: the landscape and the seasons, the wild creatures, the people, personal experiences and memories.  The treatments may differ, but I was struck by the similarity between the fresh and innocent eye of the young poets and the old poet’s vision of his personal Eden.

"As a teacher, parent and poet I know my father would have appreciated the Assynt schoolchildren’s contribution to the events marking his 100th anniversary – possibly more than many of the adult events – so I applaud the efforts of all the children who contributed."

Congratulations to the many talented youngsters. Their poems are full of joy and fun, not to mention many of them being beautifully illustrated.