Alasdair Caimbeul (writer)


Alasdair Caimbeul, also known as Alasdair a' Bhocsair or Alasdair Campbell, is a Scottish playwright, short story writer, and novelist from Ness on the Isle of Lewis.

Life

He was born on 27 May 1941 in Ness, Lewis. His brother, Tormod Caimbeul, was also a writer. Their father was Aonghas Caimbeul, and their uncle was another notable Scottish Gaelic writer, Aonghas Caimbeul, as is his niece, Catrìona Lexy Chaimbeul. He lived in Drochaid Chonain in Ross-shire in the 1990s, and was living in Ness as of 2001.

Literary work

He has written plays, short stories, and novels in Scottish Gaelic and in English. He began to write in Gaelic in 1984. Bùth a' Bhaile was his first play. He was involved with theater companies, among them 'Na Nisich' in Lewis and Cluicheadairean Loch Aillse. From 1988 to 1990 he was a writer-in-residence at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye. He wrote the novels The Nessman and Visiting the Bard in English.
He won the Stornoway Gazette Award for new play in 2009 at the Royal National Mòd.
His novel Ro Fhada san t-Suidheachadh Seo won the first prize at the 2015 Donald Meek Awards.

Gaelic publications