I had a desire
to understand
things besides
just living
through them...
I
NTERNATIONAL LITERACIES DAY WAS HELD
ON 8 SEPTEMBER 2013. TO CELEBRATE, WE
CAUGHT UP WITH WILLIAM MCILVANNEY
TO FIND OUT ABOUT HIS JOURNEY FROM
ASPIRING WRITER TO ACCLAIMED AUTHOR.
BORN IN KILMARNOCK IN 1936, HE SAW HIS
FIRST BOOK, REMEDY IS NONE,
PUBLISHED IN 1966.
What did you do before you started writing?
“I was a pupil at Kilmarnock Academy from 1949 to 1955. I studied
English, History, Mathematics, Latin, Greek and French before
moving on to complete an MA at the University of Glasgow.
From 1960 – 1975 I taught English at Irvine Royal Academy
then Greenwood Academy, Dreghorn, where I was also Assistant
Head Teacher. In 1975 I left teaching to write full time.”
What inspired you to start writing?
“I was 14, sitting in my living room in St Maurs Crescent,
Kilmarnock. I scribbled on a bit of paper what I thought was
a poem. My older brother Neil was out in the garden, I chose
very wisely who to show it to; Neil was always very generous
to my fantasies. He looked at it and said “you didn’t write that
kid? That’s terrific.” I often thought about the epigraph at the
beginning of my books reading “Neilly is to blame”. If he hadn’t
given me the right encouragement I may just have jacked it in!”
16
INT
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NAT
ION
AL
LIT
ERA
CIES
DAY
THE STUDENT VOICE: EDITION 1