Angus Peter Campbell was born on 29 April 1954 in South Lochboisdale, South Uist. His father, Ewan Campbell (Scottish Gaelic: Eòghainn Mòr Aonghais Nìll Aonghais Iain Mhòr), was from Ludag. His mother, Christina MacDonald (Scottish Gaelic: Ciorstaidh Eòghainn Mhòr 'ic Dhòmhnaill 'ic Aonghais 'ic Alastair), was from Garrynamonie. His paternal uncle, Neil Campbell (Scottish Gaelic: Niall Mòr), was a long serving ferryman between Ludag, Eriskay, and Barra.[2]
In a 2009 interview, Campbell recalled, "My first exposure to ‘Gaelic literature’ may very well have been the birds (the curlews) singing outside our house on the moor, or the sound of the cart taking the peats home, or of our neighbour Eairdsidh Beag playing the bagpipes, or of someone singing in the village. I went to primary school in South Uist where ‘official literature’ if you want to put it that way, was hidden between the cover of books and therefore in English. ‘Literature’ was Black Beauty and Kidnapped and Treasure Island."[3]
After attending Gearraidh na Mònadh primary school until the age of 12, Campbell spent his teenage years in Oban, where he was taught by Iain Crichton Smith at Oban High School.[4] Campbell remains grateful to Smith for having exposed him to international literature at a time and place where such instruction was unusual; William Shakespeare's Hamlet one day, Duncan Ban MacIntyre the next.[5] One iconic book of Gaelic poetry that Smith also used in teaching his pupils was William J. Watson's edition of the 16th-centuryBook of the Dean of Lismore, Campbell later recalled, however, "But as far as I could work out none of the poets in it was still alive. No doubt this set me subconsciously thinking that poetry belonged to the dead."[6]
According to Campbell, "Iain was an absolute joy as a teacher – challenging, inspirational and funny. I was in his English class from age 12 to 17, and during that period he opened windows to world literature. One day he would bring in an LP of Beethoven and play it then ask us to write a poem in response; the next he might read us the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6 – 'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these' – just for the joy of the words (I can still hear him reading these words); the next day again he would introduce us to Lowell, or Ginsberg, or Arthur Miller. I think I learned two things from him – that poets were alive, and that we could stand at ease next to the great internationalists."[7]
Campbell recalls, "I went to see him with some poems of mine and he was tremendously encouraging and supportive, and remained so throughout his life. I think Sorley just verified what Iain had seeded: that poetry was a great international language and that Gaelic could proudly stand alongside Spanish or Greek or Russian or English or whatever in that great discourse."[9]
Literary career
He graduated with Double Honours in Politics and History from Edinburgh University, after which he worked in the media. In 2001 he was awarded the Bardic Crown for Gaelic poetry at the Mòd and also received a Creative Scotland Award. The following year he was given a Creative Scotland Award for Literature. His novel, An Oidhche Mus do Sheòl Sinn, published by CLÀR, was voted by the public into the Top Ten of the 100 Best-Ever Books from Scotland in the Orange/List Awards. Sorley MacLean said of Campbell:
“I have no doubts that Angus Peter Campbell is one of the few really significant living poets in Scotland, writing in any language.”
— Sorley MacLean (West Highland Free Press, October 1992)[10]
Campbell writes frequently about the Catholic Church in his work. In a 2009 interview, however, Campbell described himself as a Christian socialist.[13]
He lives on the Isle of Skye with his wife and six children, and is now a full-time writer, journalist, broadcaster, actor. He is the father of piper Brìghde Chaimbeul.
