# David Purves

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{{Short description|Scottish Poet and Playwright}}
{{Infobox person
| name             = David Purves
| honorific_suffix =
| image            = 
| alt              = 
| caption          = 
| birth_name       = 
| birth_date       = {{birth date|df=yes|1924|04|09}}
| birth_place      = Selkirk, Scotland
| death_date       = {{death date|df=yes|2015|01|03}}
| death_place      = Edinburgh, Scotland
| occupation       = Environmental Scientist
| movement         = Scots Language
| notable_works    = ''The Puddok an the Princess'' (1985)
| spouse           = Lilian Rosemary Stewart
| children         = Graeme Alexander Stewart Purves, Jamie Scott Purves, David Neil Purves 
}}

Dr. '''David Purves''' (9 April 1924 – 3 January 2015) was a Scottish [environmental scientist](/source/Environmental_Scientist), playwright and poet, and a champion of the [Scots language](/source/Scots_language).

==Early life==
Purves was born in [Selkirk](/source/Selkirk%2C_Scottish_Borders), Scotland, the only son of James Alexander Purves, a master grocer based in [Galashiels](/source/Galashiels), and his wife May Lees. He was brought up in the Borders, and educated at [Galashiels Academy](/source/Galashiels_Academy).

He served in the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) in [World War II](/source/World_War_II), training as a bomber navigator in [Canada](/source/Canada).<ref name="obituary15">''[https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-dr-david-purves-bsc-phd-writer-scots-1516372 Obituary: Dr David Purves, BSc, PhD, writer in Scots]'', ''[The Scotsman](/source/The_Scotsman)'', 5 January 2015</ref>

==Career as an environmental scientist==
After the war, he studied at the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh), gaining an honours degree and PhD in [biochemistry](/source/biochemistry). In 1956, he was appointed head of the Trace Element Department at the East of Scotland College of Agriculture,<ref>''Who's Who in Scotland, 2013'', Carrick Media, Ayr, pp. 421 & 422, {{isbn|978-0-9565748-6-2}}</ref> where he worked with the agricultural advisory service on trace element deficiency and toxicity problems.  In 1977, his scientific monograph ''Trace-Element Contamination of the Environment'', which highlighted the social and ecological implications of allowing metals to be dispersed into the [biosphere](/source/biosphere) as contaminants, was published by [Elsevier](/source/Elsevier). A revised edition was published in 1985.<ref>Purves, David (1985), ''Trace-Element Contamination of the Environment'', Elsevier, Amsterdam, {{isbn|978-0444569660}}</ref> In 1980, he was commissioned by the [United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation](/source/United_Nations_Food_and_Agriculture_Organization) to recommend standards for the disposal of [sewage-sludge](/source/Sewage_sludge) to land.  He retired from the Edinburgh School of Agriculture in 1982, but maintained an interest in global environmental problems as Supervisor of its Central Analytical Department until 1987.<ref name="obituary15" />

==Scottish National Party==
Purves contested [Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles](/source/Roxburgh%2C_Selkirk_and_Peebles_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) as a [Scottish National Party](/source/Scottish_National_Party) candidate in the parliamentary election in February 1974.<ref name="electric">Electric Scotland, ''[https://electricscotland.com/poetry/purves/index.htm Poems, Stories, Plays in the Scots Language by David Purves]''</ref>  He contributed a chapter on "Environmental Policy in an Independent Scotland" to ''The Radical Approach: Papers on an Independent Scotland'', edited by Gavin Kennedy and published by Palingenesis Press Ltd. in 1976.<ref>Purves, David, "Environmental Policy in an Independent Scotland" in Kennedy, Gavin (ed.) (1976), ''The Radical Approach: Papers on an Independent Scotland'', Palingenesis Press Ltd., pp. 88–92, {{isbn|0-905470-00-1}}</ref> He was later elected to the SNP's National Council and in the 1980s was convener of its Environment Policy Committee.<ref name="obituary15" />

==Scots language==
Purves was active in promoting the [Scots language](/source/Scots_language), taking a particular interest in the development of a standard orthography.  In 1979, he contributed a paper on the spelling of Scots to ''The Scottish Literary Journal''.<ref>Purves, David, "A Scots Orthography", in ''The Scottish Literary Journal'', Supplement No. 9, Spring 1979, available as a PDF from Electric Scotland</ref>  In 1985, at Edinburgh University's [School of Scottish Studies](/source/School_of_Scottish_Studies), he chaired a meeting of contemporary writers in Scots which agreed guidelines for Scots spelling.  These were later published by the [Scots Language Society](/source/Scots_Language_Society) as ''Recommendations for Writers in Scots''.<ref>''Recommendations for Writers in Scots'', The Scots Language Society, 1985, available as a PDF from Electric Scotland</ref>  The [Saltire Society](/source/Saltire_Society) published his book, ''A Scots Grammar'', in 1997,<ref>Purves, David (1997), ''A Scots Grammar: Scots Grammar & Usage'', The Saltire Society, Edinburgh, {{isbn|0-85411-068-2}}</ref> and a revised and extended edition in 2002.<ref>Purves, David (2002), ''A Scots Grammar: Scots Grammar & Usage'', The Saltire Society, Edinburgh, {{isbn|0-85411-079-8}}</ref>  His paper ''The Way Forward for the Scots Language'' was published by the Scottish Centre for Economic and Social Research in 1997.<ref>Purves, David (1997), ''The Way Forward for the Scots Language'', Scottish Council for Economic and Social Research, Peterhead</ref>

=== Poetry ===
His poems in Scots were published in a range of magazines, including AKROS, [Lines Review](/source/Lines_Review), [Cencrastus](/source/Cencrastus), [Chapman](/source/Chapman_(magazine)), [Lallans](/source/Lallans), Markings, Northwords and [Reforesting Scotland](/source/Reforesting_Scotland).<ref name="obituary15" /><ref>"Tree Poems in Scots", selected and translated by David Purves, in [Ballard, Mark](/source/Mark_Ballard) (ed), ''Reforesting Scotland'', Issue 22, Autumn 1999, pp. 44 & 45, {{issn|0969-1367}}</ref><ref>Bryan, Tom (ed.), ''The Eildon Tree'', Issue 1, Spring 1999, [Scottish Borders Council](/source/Scottish_Borders_Council), Selkirk, p. 7, {{issn|1466-5484}}</ref>  Two collections of his poems in Scots have been published: ''Thrawart Threipins'' in 1976, and ''Hert’s Bluid'', Chapman 1995.<ref name="Poetry Library">Scottish Poetry Library, ''[https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/david-purves/ David Purves, 1924–2015]''</ref>  His poems "On Mairriage" and "On Bairns" are included in the [Scottish Poetry Library](/source/Scottish_Poetry_Library)'s anthologies, ''Handfast'' and ''Handsel'' respectively.<ref>MacGregor, Lizzie (ed.) (2004), ''Handfast: Scottish poems for weddings and affirmations'', Scottish Poetry Library, p. 48, {{isbn|1-904598-24-2}}</ref><ref>MacGregor, Lizzie (ed.) (2005), ''Handsel: Scottish poems for welcoming and naming babies'', Scottish Poetry Library, p. 56, {{isbn|9-781904-598510}}</ref> His poems "Crabbit Angels" and "Cleikit" were published in ''The Edinburgh Book of Twentieth-Century Scottish Poetry'' published in 2005.<ref>[Lindsay, Maurice](/source/Maurice_Lindsay_(broadcaster)) & Duncan, Lesley (eds.) (2005), ''The Edinburgh Book of Twentieth-Century Scottish Poetry'', [Edinburgh University Press](/source/Edinburgh_University_Press), pp. 287 & 288, {{isbn|074862015X}}</ref> His poems "Heid Bummers" (2006) and "Mirzah’s Brig" (2009) were included in ''The Smeddum Test'', an anthology of 21st Century poems in Scots published by Kennedy & Boyd in 2013.<ref>Duncan, Lesley & [Riach, Alan](/source/Alan_Riach) (eds.) (2013), ''The Smeddum Test: 21st Century Poems in Scots'', Kennedy & Boyd, Kilkerran, pp. 51 & 86, {{isbn|9-781849-211246}}</ref>  His poems "Hard Wumman", "Resurrection" and "Brierie Law" were included in J. Derrick McClure's ''A Kist o Skinklan Things'', an anthology of Scots poetry from the first and second waves of the [Scottish Renaissance](/source/Scottish_Renaissance), published by the [Association for Scottish Literary Studies](/source/Association_for_Scottish_Literary_Studies) in 2017.<ref>McClure, J. Derrick (ed.), ''A Kist o Skinklan Things: An Anthology of Scots Poetry from the First and Second Waves of the Scottish Renaissance'', Association for Scottish Literary Studies, Glasgow, pp. 140 & 141, {{isbn|978-1-906841-29-4}}</ref>

Purves also rendered two hundred ancient [Chinese](/source/China) poems in Scots, in four collections of fifty poems, entitled, ''Ane Auld Sang'', ''Gean Blossoms'', ''Jade Lute'' and ''Chrysants''.<ref name="obituary15" />

He was a member of the [British Haiku Society](/source/British_Haiku_Society).<ref>British Haiku Society Membership List 1999</ref>

=== Drama ===
Three of his plays in Scots, ''The Puddok an the Princess'', ''The Knicht o the Riddils'' and ''Whuppitie Stourie'', have been professionally produced.  Other plays based on folk and fairy-tale themes are ''The Ill Guidmither'', based on a tale collected by [Peter Buchan](/source/Peter_Buchan) in 1829, and ''Pompitie Finnds a Needle'', a dramatisation of a children's story by [Agnes Grozier Herbertson](/source/Agnes_Grozier_Herbertson) which was given a reading at Edinburgh Playwrights Workshop. ''The Puddok an the Princess'' marked the beginning of a long collaboration with [Charles Nowosielski](/source/Charles_Nowosielski) of [Theatre Alba](/source/Theatre_Alba).<ref>Edwards, Owen Dudley ("Cradle in the Tree Top: The [Edinburgh Festival](/source/Edinburgh_International_Festival) and [Scottish Theatre](/source/Theatre_of_Scotland)", in Stevenson, Randall (ed.) (1996), ''Scottish Theatre Since the Seventies'', [Edinburgh University Press](/source/Edinburgh_University_Press), p. 42 {{isbn|9-780748-607815}}</ref>  The company's production of the play won a Fringe First Award at the [Edinburgh Festival Fringe](/source/Edinburgh_Festival_Fringe) in 1985.  It had a total of eight productions and was toured by Theatre Alba in 1986 and 1988.<ref>Theatricalia, ''[https://theatricalia.com/play/gex/the-puddok-an-the-princess/production/126d The Puddok an the Princess]''</ref><ref>[http://backcatalog.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1986-05-02/9/index.html ''The Puddok an the Princess'' tour listings, 1986], ''The List'', issue 15, 2–15 May, p. 7, {{issn|0959-1915}}</ref><ref>''[http://backcatalog.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1986-05-16/20/index.html Puddok Prowess]'', ''The List'', issue 16, 16–29 May 1986, p. 18, {{issn|0959-1915}}</ref><ref>[http://backcatalog.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1988-10-28/24/index.html Netherbow Theatre listing, 1988], ''The List'', issue 80, 28 October – 10 November 1988, pp. 21 & 23, {{issn|0959-1915}}</ref> ''The Knicht o the Riddils'' was staged at the [Brunton Theatre](/source/Brunton_Theatre), [Musselburgh](/source/Musselburgh), in November and December 1987.<ref>[http://archive.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1987-11-13/5/index.html Guest List: Preview of ''The Knicht o the Riddils''], ''The List'', Issue 54, 13–26 November 1987, p. 3</ref><ref>[http://archive.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1987-11-27/23/index.html ''The Knicht o the Riddils'', Brunton Theatre listing], ''The List'', issue 55, 27 November – 10 December 1987, pp. 20 & 23, {{issn|0959-1915}}</ref><ref>Theatricalia, ''[https://theatricalia.com/play/gep/the-knicht-o-the-riddils/production/125x The Knicht o the Riddils]''</ref><ref name="Lockerbie87">Lockerbie, Catherine, "A tale of how Purves found a rich vein of language", ''[The Scotsman](/source/The_Scotsman)'', {{issn|0307-5850}}, Monday, November 30, 1987</ref><ref>[http://archive.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1987-12-11/31/index.html review of ''The Knicht o the Riddils'' by Sarah Hemming], ''The List'', issue 56, 11 December 1987 – 7 January 1988, p. 27, {{issn|0959-1915}}</ref> ''Whuppitie Stourie'', based on a Scottish version of the fairytale ''[Rumpelstiltskin](/source/Rumpelstiltskin)'', was toured by Theatre Alba between 30 October and 28 November 1989.<ref>Theatricalia, ''[https://theatricalia.com/play/gge/whuppitie-stourie/production/12a3 Whuppitie Stourie]''</ref><ref>[http://archive.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1989-09-29/47/index.html "A Measure of Scots"], ''The List'', Issue 105, 29 September - 12 October 1989, p. 45</ref><ref>[http://archive.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1989-09-29/6/index.html advertisement for the Theatre Alba production of ''Whuppitie Stourie''], The List, Issue 105, 29 September - 12 October 1989, p. 4</ref><ref>[http://archive.list.co.uk.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-list/1989-10-27/56/index.html ''Whuppitie Stourie'' tour listings], ''The List'', issue 107, 27 October – 9 November 1989, p. 52, {{issn|0959-1915}}</ref>

In an interview given to ''[The Scotsman](/source/The_Scotsman)'' while ''The Knicht o the Riddils'' was playing in Musselburgh, Purves told Catherine Lockerbie that he was not trying to emulate the historical emphasis of admired Scots dramatists like [Robert Maclellan](/source/Robert_McLellan).  "I like to be free of the constraints of history," he said.  "I prefer to go back into a fabulous period, to a world which never really existed but which has a reality of its own."<ref name="Lockerbie87" />

Purves also rendered works by other playwrights into Scots. His  ''The Thrie Sisters''. a translation of ''[Three Sisters](/source/Three_Sisters_(play))'' by [Anton Chekhov](/source/Anton_Chekhov), was produced by Theatre Alba at Lauriston Halls on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999.<ref>Theatre Alba Edinburgh Festival Fringe Programme, August 1999</ref> His ''The Tragedie o Macbeth'', a translation and adaptation of [William Shakespeare](/source/William_Shakespeare)'s ''[Macbeth](/source/Macbeth)'' was published in 1992,<ref>Purves, David (1992), ''The Tragedie o Macbeth: A Rendering into Scots of Shakespeare's Play'', Rob Roy Press, {{isbn|1858320003}}</ref> given a reading by Edinburgh Playwrights Workshop in March of that year,<ref>Edinburgh Playwrights Workshop Spring Programme, January 1992</ref> and staged by Theatre Alba in [Duddingston Kirk](/source/Duddingston_Kirk) Gardens on the Festival Fringe in August 2002.<ref>Theatre Alba Edinburgh Festival Fringe Programme, August 2002</ref> ''The Ootlaw'', a translation into Scots of [August Strindberg](/source/August_Strindberg)'s ''[The Outlaw](/source/The_Outlaw_(play))'' was staged by Theatre Alba at Duddingston Kirk on the 2009 Fringe.<ref name="obituary15" />  He also translated [Eugene Schwartz](/source/Eugene_Schwartz)'s ''[Little Red Riding Hood](/source/Little_Red_Riding_Hood)'' into Scots.

He was a member of the Scottish Society of Playwrights.

=== Lallans magazine ===
David Purves was elected as Preses of the [Scots Language Society](/source/Scots_Language_Society) from 1983 to 1986 and served as editor of ''Lallans'' from 1987 to 1995.<ref name="Poetry Library" />  He was also co-editor with [Neil R. MacCallum](/source/Neil_MacCallum) of ''Mak it New'', an anthology of writing from the magazine, in 1995.<ref>MacCallum, Neil R. & Purves, David (eds.), ''Mak it New: An Anthology of Twenty-One Years of Writing in Lallans'', The Mercat Press, Edinburgh, {{isbn|9-781873-644461}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
* "Ane Ill Turn: an example of the ''Standard Scots'' orthography", in [Annand, J.K.](/source/J._K._Annand) (ed.), ''Lallans'', Number 2: Whitsunday 1974, p.&nbsp;20, {{issn|1359-3587}}
* "The Spelling of Scots", in Annand, J.K. (ed.), ''Lallans'', Number 4: Whitsunday 1975, pp.&nbsp;26 – 28 
* ''Trace-Element Contamination of the Environment'', Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977,{{isbn|978-0444569660}}
* "Environmental Policy in an Independent Scotland", in Kennedy, Gavin (ed.) (1976), ''The Radical Approach: Papers on an independent Scotland'', Palingenisis Press Ltd., Edinburgh, pp.&nbsp;88–92, {{isbn|0-905470-00-1}}
* ''Thrawart Threipins'', The Aquila Publishing Co. Ltd., Breakish, Isle of Skye, 1976, {{isbn|0-7275-0125-9}}
* "A Scots Orthography", in ''The Scottish Literary Journal'', Supplement No. 9, Spring 1979
* "The Scots Language in Drama", Electric Scotland
* ''The Puddok an the Princess'', Brown, Son & Ferguson Ltd., Glasgow, 1992, {{isbn|0-85174-608-X}}
* ''The Tragedie o Macbeth: A Rendering into Scots of Shakespeare's Play'', Rob Roy Press, 1992, {{isbn|1858320003}}
* "The Tragedie o Macbeth", in [MacCallum, Neil R.](/source/Neil_MacCallum) (ed.), ''Scots Glasnost'', VII, April 1993, [Scots Independent](/source/The_Scots_Independent) (Newspapers) Ltd., pp.&nbsp;9 – 11, {{issn|0966-9639}}
* ''J.K. Annand: A Makar tae Mynd'', Obituary, in Renton, Jennie (ed.), ''Scottish Book Collector'', Volume 3, Number 12, August - September 1993, Edinburgh, p.&nbsp;33
* "The Lest o the Ettins", in Bryan, Tom (ed.), ''Northwords'' Issue 6, [Ross and Cromarty](/source/Ross_and_Cromarty) Association of Writers' Groups, p.&nbsp;19, {{issn|0964-6876}} 
* ''Hert's Bluid'', Chapman Publications, Edinburgh, 1995, {{isbn|0-906772-70-2}}
* with Neil R. MacCallum, ''Mak it New: An Anthology of Twenty-one Years of Writing in Lallans'', The Mercat Press, Edinburgh, 1995, {{isbn|9-781873-644461}}
* ''The Way Forward for the Scots Language'', Scottish Council for Economic and Social Research, Peterhead
* ''A Scots Grammar: Scots Grammar and Usage'', The Saltire Society, Edinburgh, 2002, {{isbn|0-85411-079-8}}
* "The Language of Scots", in Clark, Nick (ed.), ''Poetic Hours'', Autumn 2004, [Nottingham](/source/Nottingham), p.&nbsp;9, {{issn|1367-8760}}
* "Haiku & Zen Buddhism", in [Glen, Duncan](/source/Duncan_Glen) (ed.), ''Scottish Poetry Library Newsletter'', January 2005, [Scottish Poetry Library](/source/Scottish_Poetry_Library), Edinburgh, p.&nbsp;5, {{issn|0960-0477}}
* "Polishing the Glass: Japanese Masters in Scots", in Clark, Nick (ed.), ''Poetic Hours'', Spring 2005, Nottingham, pp.&nbsp;8 & 9, {{issn|1367-8760}}
* "in ilka age: The Poetry of [Li Po](/source/Li_Po)", in Clark, Nick (ed.), ''Poetic Hours'', Autumn 2005, Nottingham, pp.&nbsp;4 & 5, {{issn|1367-8760}}
* "From the Chinese of Ssü-K'ung T'u", in Hendry, Joy (ed.), ''[Chapman](/source/Chapman_(magazine))'' 109, 2007

==Personal life==
David Purves married Lilian Rosemary Stewart, a primary school teacher, at [Cramond Parish Kirk](/source/Cramond_Kirk), Edinburgh, on 19 September 1953.<ref>''[The Scotsman](/source/The_Scotsman)'', September 22, 1953</ref>  The couple had met at university.  They spent the first four years of their married life in [Stow](/source/Stow%2C_Scottish_Borders), in the Borders.  In 1957 they returned to Edinburgh, living first in Meadowfield Terrace, and then in Hillpark Avenue, Cluny Gardens, and Strathalmond Road.  The couple had three sons: Graeme Alexander Stewart (b. 1954), Jamie Scott (b. 1958), and David Neil (b. 1964).

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purves, David}}
Category:1924 births
Category:2015 deaths
Category:20th-century Scottish scientists
Category:21st-century Scottish scientists
Category:British environmental scientists
Category:Scottish environmentalists
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:20th-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights
Category:21st-century Scottish dramatists and playwrights
Category:20th-century Scottish poets
Category:Scottish male poets
Category:20th-century Scottish male writers
Category:21st-century Scottish poets
Category:21st-century Scottish male writers
Category:Lallans poets
Category:Scots-language poets
Category:Scots language activists
Category:Scottish magazine editors
Category:Scottish nationalists
Category:Writers from the Scottish Borders
Category:People from Selkirk, Scottish Borders
Category:People educated at Galashiels Academy
Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [David Purves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Purves) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Purves?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.