William Neill | |
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| Born | (1922-02-22)22 February 1922 Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Died | 5 April 2010(2010-04-05) (aged 88) Dalbeattie, Scotland |
| Resting place | Crossmichael Churchyard |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Alma mater | Edinburgh University |
| Genre | Poetry |
William Neill (22 February 1922 – 5 April 2010) was an Ayrshire-born poet who wrote inScottish andIrish Gaelic,Scots and English. He was a major contributing voice to theScottish Renaissance.[1]
Neill was born inPrestwick,Ayrshire and educated atAyr Academy.[2] After service in the RAF, he studied at theUniversity of Edinburgh and graduated with an Honours degree in Celtic studies.[3] He was a frequent contributor toCatalyst andGairm magazines and subsequently became the second editor ofCatalyst. As a young writer, he studied the poets of theScottish Renaissance, and viewed 'modern assertions that "Scots was dying in the time ofBurns" as the assertions of dyed-in-the-wool townies.
Neill lived inCrossmichael in Kirkcudbrightshire,Galloway and taught English atCastle Douglas High School; his wife taught at the primary school. Occasionally he would sicken of teaching English and conduct lessons in Scots instead.
The Gaelic poetry of William Neill took theNational Mòd'sbardic crown atAviemore in 1969.[2][4] Other awards for his poetry have included The Grierson Verse Prize (1970), Sloan Prize (1970) and aScottish Arts Council Book Award (1985).
He died in Munches Park Residential Home inDalbeattie on 5 April 2010.[3]
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