George Mackay Brown wrote fiction with the humility and creative latitude of someone who was never completely certain that the form was up to the job. He wrote fiction that, in its rhythms, in its taut, glinting language, aspired towards poetry. He wrote fiction that, again and again, kindled that 'simple fire' on the page. One of Scotland's greatest writers, George Mackay Brown (1921–1996) produced a steady stream of fiction throughout his career. Inimitable in style, his story collections include A Calendar of Love (1967), A Time to Keep (1969) and Hawkfall (1974). In this selection, edited and introduced by Malachy Tallack, Mackay Brown's beloved Orkney is illuminated within his words. The voices of the islands' people and communities, its rhythms and harmonies through time, resound.
"'New editions of his poetry and short stories, published to mark his centenary, show his spirituality and extraordinary gift for 'involved detachment''"
The Spectator
"'Malachy Tallack and Kathleen Jamie do an excellent job in editing these collections for the centenary of MacKay Brown's birth. They choose both poems and stories that show the appeal and strength of his writing'"
Stornoway Gazette
"'Tallack writes beautifully about living on the edge of the world; he understands islands, the way they are silent and also impossibly loud and full. He comes at Brown with real empathy. … For newcomers to George this collection is a good introduction'"
