Book description
William McGonagall was born in Edinburgh in 1830. His father was a
poor hand-loom weaver, and his work took his family to Glasgow, then
to Dundee. William attended school for eighteen months before the age
of seven, and received no further formal education. Later, as a mill
worker, he used to read books in the evening, taking great interest in
Shakespeare's plays. In 1877, McGonagall suddenly discovered himself
'to be a poet'. Since then, thousands of people the world over have
enjoyed the verse of Scotland's alternative national poet. This volume
brings together the three famous collections - "Poetic
Gems", "More Poetic Gems" and "Last Poetic
Gems", and includes all the valuable autobiographical material
which appeared in the original volumes. It includes all his most
famous works, as well as previously unpublished poems.
Colin Walker is Manager of Blackwell's University Bookshop, Aberdeen.
He has also edited McGonagall, A Selection (Birlinn) and Scottish
Proverbs (Birlinn).
