Taylor Strickland is the author of Dastram/Delirium, winner of the 2023 Saltire Award for Scottish Poetry Book of the Year, and a PBS Translation Choice.
His work has appeared in Poetry Wales, Poetry Northwest, New Statesman, the TLS, Poetry Review, Dark Horse, and elsewhere. He lives in Glasgow with his wife, Lauren, and daughter, Eimhir.
Taylor told us he’s never been to Islay! “A few trips in the past have been planned but all fell through. Aside from being a history buff, with some specific knowledge of the island, and of Gaelic, I have worked off and on in the booze industry, and currently work shifts between Dunkeld Whisky Box in Dunkeld and Good Spirits Co in Glasgow. All of this to say, whisky, in addition to books and heritage, will be an enormous draw – especially Kilchoman and Bruichladdich.”
We asked Taylor what he’d like us to know about him or his book before your session, and he told us “Go easy on me – I am from Florida and we’re not all Florida Man headlines. As for my recent book Dastram/Delirium, it is a primer for the terrific and terrifying talent of Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, Scotland’s best kept literary secret. Here is an 18th-century Gaelic bard re-written into a current transatlantic English, with a dash of Gaelic and Scots retained. Also of note, he was an Argyll local!”
And as for other sessions he’s looking forward to – aside from Niall O’Gallagher, who he will appear alongside, he said “I’m looking forward to the Welcoming Nature panel, and like everyone else, Andrew O’ Hagan.”
You can find out more about Taylor at his website.
Taylor’s latest book is Dastram / Delirium.
Taylor will be in conversation with Niall O’Gallagher at a special Gaelic event on Saturday afternoon at the Gaelic College, which will be chaired by Iseabail Mactaggart. Taylor will also be providing music at Andrew O’Hagan’s Thursday opening event.