Marion Cleland Lochhead MBE (19 April 1902 - 19 January 1985) was a Scottish writer and social historian.[1] Her works span historiography and biography, poetry and fiction, children's writing, journalism, and broadcasting.[2]
Marion Cleland Lochhead | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 April 1902 Wishaw, Lanarkshire |
| Died | 19 January 1985 Edinburgh |
| Occupation | Writer and Social Historian |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Education | University of Glasgow |
Early life and career
editMarion Lochhead was born 19 April 1902 in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, the daughter of Helen Watt and Alexander Lochhead, a draper and clothier.[1]
In 1923, she graduated in English Literature and Latin (MA) from the University of Glasgow.[1] Initially, Lochhead worked as a schoolteacher, turning to poetry and writing in the 1920s.[1][2] Lochhead said 'I began as a poet, with an increasing interest in biography and social and domestic history'.[3]
Her strong Christian beliefs are often reflected in her works.[1][2]
Literary associations
editLochhead is rarely associated with the Scottish Renaissance, though she was an active member of Edinburgh's literary scene in her younger years.[2]
In 1927, Lochhead co-founded the Scottish PEN (association of Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists and Novelists), along with writers including Hugh MacDiarmid and Helen B. Cruickshank.[4]
Journalism
editFrom the 1930s, Lochhead was a key contributor to the Scottish press, publishing in titles including The Scotsman, Glasgow Herald, Scottish Home and Country, Scottish Field, Weekend Scotsman, Quarterly Review and Blackwood's Magazine.[2]
In her later life, she gave interviews on BBC Radio Scotland.[2]
Recognition
editIn 1955, Lochhead was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL).[1][2]
Notable works
editPoetry collections
edit- Poems (1928).
- Painted Things (1929).
- Feast of Candlemas and Other Devotional Poems (1937).
- Fiddler's Bidding (1939).
Novels
edit- Anne Dalrymple (1934).
- Cloaked in Scarlet (1935).
- Adrian Was A Priest (1936).
- Island Destiny (1936).
- The Dancing Flower (1938).
Historical Texts
edit- The Scots Household in the Eighteenth Century (1948).
- The First Ten Years: Victorian Childhood (1956).
- Young Victorians (1959).
- The Victorian Household (1964).
- Portrait of the Scott Country (1968).
- Episcopal Scotland in the Nineteenth Century (1966).
- The Renaissance of Wonder in Children's Literature (1977).
Biographies
edit- John Gibson Lockhart (1954).
- Elizabeth Rigley, Lady Eastlake (1961).
Children's Literature
edit- On Tintock Tap (1946).
- The Other Country: Legends and Fairytales of Scotland (1978).
- Scottish Tales of Magic and Mystery (1978).
- The Battle of the Birds: And Other Celtic Tales (1981).
- Magic and Witchcraft of the Borders (1984).
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Ewan, Elizabeth L.; Innes, Sue; Reynolds, Sian; Pipes, Rose (27 June 2007). Biographical Dictionary of ScottishWomen. Edinburgh University Press. p. 208. ISBN 9780748626601.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "About Marion Lochhead". The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ "Dictionary of Literary Biography Series - Gale - PRO-0000000371". www.cengage.com. 1981. p. 289. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ Crawford, Robert (30 January 2009). Scotland's Books: A History of Scottish Literature. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 570. ISBN 9780195386233.