The Art & Faith of George Mackay Brown - St Benedict's welcomes Maggie Fergusson
St Benedict's school welcomed Maggie Fergusson, award-winning biographer of Orkney poet and great Scottish writer, George Mackay Brown, to speak at their school.
On Thursday 18 April, St Benedict's school was delighted to welcome Maggie Fergusson, award-winning biographer, to talk about the fascinating life, art and faith of Orkney poet, George Mackay Brown; one of the great Catholic writers of the twentieth century.
During the inaugural literacy Lecture Series talk, 'Blessings May Break From Stone: The Art and Faith of George Mackay Brown', Ms Fergusson took her audience on a captivating journey, exploring a life both blessed and broken, where she uncovered how George Mackay Brown, despite rarely leaving his native Orkney, led a vivid and courageous life.
Using images of the Orkney Island of Stromness, Ms Fergusson engaged the audience, recounting how the island was a mediator for his imagination and offered glimpses into some of the many facets of his personality through his many letters and conversations with his wide acquaintance.
As his friend, Maggie Fergusson is the only biographer to whom George Mackay Brown reluctantly gave his blessing, allowing her to convey a candid portrayal of his life.
Speaking of her visit to the school, Ms Fergusson stated; "It was a delight to visit St Benedict's last week, and to be welcomed so warmly into what felt like a really happy, flourishing school. And though Orkney is some 700 miles north of London, I felt that the pupils made a real effort to travel to the islands in their imaginations, and to meet their poet, George Mackay Brown."
The audience, comprising pupils, parents and staff, left the talk inspired to read both Ms Fergusson’s award-winning biography as well as George Mackay Brown’s work.
Maggie Fergusson is the Deputy Editor and Literary Editor of The Tablet. Her biography of George Mackay Brown won the Marsh Biography Prize, the Saltire First Book Prize and the Scottish Arts Council Prize, and was the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year in 2006.
April 2024