Iain Crichton-Smith – författare

A true modern classic and inspirational Scottish novel.'Vividly depicted ... sheer beauty' OBSERVER'A masterpiece of simplicity' FINANCIAL TIMES'A simple but noble book ... this deserves to be read' SCOTSMAN'When she rose in the morning the house at first seemed to be the same. The sun shone through the curtains of her window. On the floor it turned to minute particles like water dancing. Nevertheless, she felt uneasy ... What had the girl said? Something about the 'burning of houses'. They just couldn't put people out of their houses, and then burn the houses down. No one had ever heard of that before. Not in the country...'In this modern classic, from one of Scotland's greatest writers, CONSIDER THE LILIES captures the thoughts and memories of an old woman who has lived all her life within the narrow confines of her community during one of the cruellest episodes of Scottish history - the Highland Clearances.

The House with the Green Shutters is a dark, provocative novel, shining a harsh and unforgiving light into the inner recesses of small-town Scotland at the turn of the last century. Written as a response to social change, and as an antidote to the sentimentality of the 'Kailyard' school, the author called it "a brutal and bloody work" - although a thread of sly humour runs through the book as well. Iain Crichton Smith's Scotnote explores this post-romantic masterpiece through a precise analysis of themes, characters, structure and language, and is ideal for senior school pupils and students.

Robin Jenkins's greatest novel is a powerful examination of good and evil, set against the backdrop of a Scottish estate during World War II. With its themes of class-conflict, war, evil and envy, this is a towering work of fiction that remains as relevant today as when it was first published. Suspenseful, dark and unforgettable, it is one of the masterpieces of modern Scottish literature. Iain Crichton Smith's SCOTNOTE study guide is a skilful and intelligent guide to the themes and characters of the novel, and explores the religious, philosophical and moral questions that it poses. Suitable for senior school pupils and students of all ages.

Iain Crichton Smith was a prolific and accomplished writer in English and Gaelic, as well as a capable dramatist, again in both languages, but it is as a poet above all that his reputation will endure. His principal collections are in English: Thistles and Roses (1961), Deer on the High Hills (1962), The Law and the Grace (1965), Hamlet in Autumn (1972), The Village and Other Poems (1989) and The Leaf and the Marble (1989); and in Gaelic Bìobuill is Sanasan-Reice (Bibles and Adverts) (1965), Eadar Fealla-Dha is Glaschu (Between Fun and Glasgow) (1974) and Na h-Eilthirich (The Exiles) (1983). In them his subject matter deals with the Highlands, Scotland and the wider world and demonstrates familiarity with the literature of Europe and America and the literary movements of his time.This double CD contains recordings of Iain Crichton Smith reading his poems. Introductions and commentary by John Blackburn cover the major themes of his career: the struggle between light and dark and his ambivalent attitude towards religion, sometimes oppressive, sometimes full of grace. It is an excellent resource for home or classroom study, as well as providing an opportunity to hear one of the great poets of the twentieth century reading his own work.

Growing up on the Isle of Lewis, Iain Crichton Smith spoke only Gaelic until he was five. But at school in Bayble and then Stornoway, everything had to be in English. Like many islanders before and since, his culture is divided: two languages, two histories entailing exile, a central theme of his poetry. His divided perspective sharply delineates the tyranny of history and religion, of the cramped life of small communities; it gives him a tender eye for the struggle of women and men in a world defined by denials.Deer on the High Hills: Selected Poems includes forty years' work and proves that big themes - love, history, power, submission, death - can be addressed without the foil of irony and acquire resonance when given a local habitation and a voice that risks pure, impassioned speech. Editor John Greening provides indexes, a preface and an essay on the life and work of this important poet.