GEORGE  MACKAY  BROWN

Biographical Notes
( fuller information at Family History )

Significant dates and events on his journey

1910
Parents :
John Brown, postman and tailor from Stromness
Mhari Mackay from Braal, Strathy, Sutherland, b. 1891, spoke only Gaelic until she went to school, 
Married June 1910, John aged 34, Mhari aged 19
Tinkers danced at the wedding, and the mailship St Ola was dressed in flags for their voyage back to Orkney

1911
Ruby, sister of GMB, born

1913
Hugh, brother of GMB, born

1915
John, brother of GMB, born

1917
Harold, brother of GMB, born.  Died in infancy

1919
Richard (Norrie), brother of GMB, born

1921

George Mackay Brown born October 17^th at Stromness, Orkney
Lived at Clouston's Pier, Stromness

1940
Father died

1941
First attack of tuberculosis

1944
Became Stromness correspondent for the Orkney Herald

1951
(-1952) Newbattle Adult Education College, Dalkieth, Midlothian, warden Edwin Muir

1953
Entered sanatorium with recurrence of TB.  Stayed a year, became editor of the hospital magazine

1954
First work, collection of poetry, published - The Storm, illustrator Ian MacInnes

1956
Eldest brother Hughie died in March after a series of heart attacks.
(-1960) Entered Edinburgh University (aged 34) to take MA Hons in English.  Two years post graduate work on Gerard Manley Hopkins.

1959
Loaves and Fishes first published 

1965
Arts Council grant for poetry
Year of the Whale published

1966
The Five Voyages of Arnor  published

1967
Mother died
A Calendar of Love and other stories first published

1968

GMB moved to Mayburn Court, Stromness
Society of Authors Travel Award, which GMB used to travel in Ireland
Twelve Poems published
The Wedding: a poem  published

1969
Time to Keep first published
Scottish Arts Council Literature Prize for A Time to Keep
An Orkney Tapestry  published with drawings by Sylvia Wishart

1970
In the summer of this year, GMB and the Manchester composer Peter Maxwell Davies met for the first time in the remote valley of Rackwick.  A significant meeting for both, it led to many collaborations with words and music.  
A Spell for Green Corn (radio play) published

1971
Fishermen with Ploughs: a poem cycle published
Katherine Mansfield Menton short story prize for title story in A Time to Keep
18.2.71:  first essay published under the title 'Letter from Hamnavoe' in The Orcadian.
Lifeboat and other poems published in limited edition
Poems New and Selected published

1972
Greenvoe published

1973
Four Poems published
Magnus published
Poems published in the USA

1974
Hawkfall and other stories published
The Two Fiddlers: tales from Orkney published, illustrated by Ian MacInnes
Awarded OBE

1975
Nov: collection of essays from The Orcadian 18.2.71 - 27.3.75 published under the title Letters from Hamnavoe, photographs by Gordon Wright
Edwin Muir: a brief memoir published in limited edition

1976
Honorary Degree from Open University (MA)
Resumed essays in The Orcadian after short gap, now under title 'Under Brinkie's Brae'
Winterfold first published
The Sun's Net published
Time in a Red Coat published

1977
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature  
Honorary Degrees from:
          Dundee University (LL.D)
First St Magnus Festival opened in Kirkwall, Orkney, midsummer this year, with The Martyrdom of St Magnus, an opera, collaboration between GMB and Peter Maxwell Davies  
Pictures in the Cave published, illustrated by Ian MacInnes
Selected Poems published
Witch and other stories, commentary and notes by D.M. Budge

1979
Collection of essays from The Orcadian 5.2.76 -19.7.79 published under the title Under Brinkie's Brae, photographs by Gordon Wright

1980
Six Lives of Fankle the Cat published, illustrator Ian MacInnes

1981
Portrait of Orkney published, photographs by Werner Forman

1983
Andrina and other stories published 
Voyages first published

1984
Christmas Poems published in limited edition and general edition, wood engravings by John Lawrence
Three Plays published

1985
Honorary Degree from Glasgow University (D.Litt)  
Christmas Stories published in limited and general editions, wood engravings by John Lawrence
The Hooded Fisherman published in limited edition, illustrated by Charles Shearer by Kulgin D. Duval and Colin H.Hamilton.  Also published same year in paperback by Trumpet Press

1986
Keepers of the House illustrated by Gillian Martin, published in limited edition
Loom of Light published, photographs by Gunnie Moberg, illustrations by Simon Fraser
The Scottish Bestiary  text by GMB, various illustrators, published in limited edition

1987
A Celebration for Magnus published; intro and text by GMB, photographs Gunnie Moberg and (stained glass) Giles Conacher, paintings and drawings by Simon Fraser, handwritten musical score by Peter Maxwell Davies
The Golden Bird published
Stone, photographs by Gunnie Moberg, published in limited edition

1988
James Tait Black Memorial Prize for The Golden Bird
Portrait of Orkney reprinted, photographs by Gunnie Moberg, drawings by Erlend Brown, nephew of GMB
Songs for St Magnus Day, wood engravings by John Lawrence, published in limited edition
Two Poems for Kenna published in limited edition

1989
The Masked Fisherman and other stories published
Tryst on Egilsay:  Haakon and Magnus  decorations by Rosemary Roberts, published in limited edition
Wreck of the Archangel published

1990
Letters to Gypsy published, illustrated by Simon Fraser

1991
In the Margins of a Shakespeare published, wood engravings by Llewellyn Thomas, in limited and general editions
The Sea-King's Daughter/Eureka! published, illustrated by Alan Watson and Erlend Brown
Selected Poems 1954-1983 published
Celebration of GMB's 70th birthday presented by the Edinburgh Contemporary Arts Trust 
in the Queens Hall on 8^th December 1991

1992
Collection of essays from the Orcadian 16.8.79-12.12.91 published under the title Rockpools and Daffodils
Brodgar Poems published in limited edition with wood engravings by Paul Kershaw
Foresterhill published in limited edition
The Lost Village: poems  drawings by Rosemary Roberts, published in limited edition
Vinland  published

1994
Beside the Ocean of Time published:  shortlisted for Booker Prize and judged Scottish Book of the Year by the Saltire Society
The Sea and The Tower published, illustrated by Erlend Brown

1995
Orfeo illustrated by Rosemary Roberts published in limited edition
Winter Tales  published

1996
Contributed to Poems on the Underground
Following a Lark published
GMB died 13^th April 1996
Funeral on St Magnus Day, 16th April
Orkney:  pictures and poems published, photographs by Gunnie Moberg, text GMB
Selected Poems 1954-1992, enlarged edition, published in Britain and the USA
Water  published, paintings and drawings by Gyorgy Gordon

1997
For the Islands I Sing published (autobiography found among GMB's papers after his death, in spite of the now famous quote from a letter to a friend:  "I will not ever be making a full-blown autobiography.  They're mostly lies anyway - pieces of vanity and self-deception.")
The Sixth Station: a new short story published, illustrator Adrian Wisniewski

1998
The Islands of the Women published 
Stained Glass Windows published with linocuts by Rosemary Roberts

1999
Northern Lights:  a poet's sources edited by Archie Bevan and Brian Murray

2001
Travellers published
"In a fanciful moment, you could imagine that this poem ['Ikey, His Will in Winter Written'], written in the year preceding [the poet's] death, is really [his] own last will and testament to us."  – quote from reviewer in The Orkney View.
The Rose Tree  published September
Grain of Dust from the Floor of Heaven bi-lingual collection of poems

Note:  'Date of publication' is date first published.  Re-prints are not generally included unless they are significantly different from first issue.  Further information  may be found on Publishing History

Additional reference may be found in:

For the Islands I sing ~ Autobiography GMB
Published 1997, 1998 John Murray Publishers Ltd in HC and PB;  approx £10 in PB

George Mackay Brown: an appreciation - 84 ~ Ed. Joy M. Hendry
Published in 1996 by Chapman Paperback, approx £4

The Contribution to Literature of Orcadian Writer George Mackay Brown ~
Osamu Yamada et al
Published 1992 by Edwin Mellen Press in HC, approx £40

George Mackay Brown - A Survey of his Work and Full Bibliography ~
Ed.  Hilda Spear
Published 2000 by Edwin Mellen Press in HC, approx £70

Maxopus Website
Peter Maxwell Davies website has a page on GMB:  a good introduction to his life and work.
(see Links Page on this site)

Buy Books by GMB at

Accuracy is an on-going process!
Any errors, omissions or further information please contact 
  suevic@freenetname.co.uk

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