A Whirlwind First Year As Scotland's Makar

Poet and playwright Jackie Kay reflects on parliamentary duties, pride... and odd locations.

- Wendy Glass

ONE year ago, the award-winning Glaswegian writer Jackie Kay was appointed Scotland’s Makar. “I love being Makar,” Jackie says, smiling broadly. “I can’t imagine a greater honour than being asked to be a country’s national poet.”

The Scottish Government-appointed post of Makar lasts for five years and when I ask Jackie to choose the highlight of her first year, she answers without hesitation.

“Reading my specially-written poem – Threshold – in front of my parents at the opening of the Scottish Parliament last July.

“The Queen was also in attendance and one stanza of my poem says: Good day Ma’am, Ma’am, good day, Good morning Helen and John Kay. It was lovely to be able to include my parents, who adopted me when I was only days old, in the same verse as the Queen.

“After the ceremony, my dad, who is 91, told me it was one of the best days of his life and my mum said, ‘Who would ever have thought that the wee baby we brought home in a basket would one day be up there as Makar?’

“They’re very proud of me,” Jackie continues. “But I’m as proud of them as they are of me. I’m so lucky to have John and Helen Kay as my mum and dad.

“I’m equally proud of my son, Matthew, who makes amazing documentary films. He’s only 28 and he’s such a brilliant person. If I’d done nothing else with my life other than bring Matthew into the world, that would have been just fine.”

However, Jackie Kay MBE has no shortage of achievements against her name. An award winning collection of poetry, The Adoption Papers; an award-winning first novel, Trumpet; an award-winning, bestselling memoir, Red Dust Road; a long list of highly-acclaimed poems, short stories, books and TV, radio and stage scripts; and now Scotland’s Makar.