Gairm

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Short description|Scottish Gaelic magazine}} {{italic title}} '''''Gairm''''' was a Scottish Gaelic quarterly magazine founded in 1951 by Derick Thomson, and Finlay J. MacDonald ({{langx|gd|Fionnlagh Domhnallach}}). Its first issue was published in Autumn 1952.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=URNBAAAAIBAJ&pg=5412%2C3506672 |title=Highland Notebook - By Gillian. Good Support for Gaelic Magazine |newspaper=The Evening Times |page=4 |via=Google News Archive |access-date=30 November 2025}}</ref> MacDonald served as an editor until 1964; Thomson remained present for decades until the magazine ceased publication in 2004, producing just over 200 issues in total.<ref name="Amb">{{cite web|url=http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/literary-landscapes/intermediate.jsp?LiteraryLandscapeID=130|title=Finlay J. McDonald|publisher=Ambaile|accessdate=16 June 2011}}</ref><ref name="Koch2006">{{cite book|last=Koch|first=John T.|title=Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f899xH_quaMC&pg=PA785|accessdate=16 June 2011|year=2006|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-440-0|page=785}}</ref>

According to Alan Campbell, the magazine was a "one-man show;" he explained that Thomson "sustained something very valuable for a long period of time."<ref name="waxing">{{cite book|last1=Hutchinson|first1=Roger|title=A Waxing Moon: The Modern Gaelic Revival|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QNZ71JVvPXEC&q=guth+na+bliadhna&pg=PT19|publisher=Random House|accessdate=10 July 2017|language=en|date=21 October 2011|isbn=9781780573106}}</ref> Although it had a relatively low circulation, it was influential on Gaelic literature as it was the longest-running Gaelic literary magazine of the 20th century, in circulation for more than twice as long as its predecessor, ''Guth na Bliadhna''. Gairm attempted to encompass a variety of perspectives and themes, and "disseminated a lot of work that we weren't aware of" in the words of Martin MacDonald.<ref name="waxing"/>

The extent to which Gairm was familiar to the wider literate Scottish Gaelic population is unknown, as information about literacy in the language only became available from 1971. Roger Hutchinson stresses the magazine's influence,<ref name="waxing"/> attracting influential writers including Sorley MacLean, Iain Crichton Smith, George Campbell Hay, and Dòmhnall MacAmhlaigh.<ref name="Koch2006"/>

Some of the most influential Gaelic poems of the twentieth century were published in the magazine, most notably "Hallaig" by Sorley MacLean in 1954. ''Gairm'' also published short stories by Eilidh Watt and Iain Crichton Smith. There were also translations (for example the poetry of Anna Achmatova translated by Christopher Whyte in issue 125, winter 1983–84) and other Gaelic literary works (for example, by Dòmhnall Eachann Meek or Dòmhnall MacAmhlaigh) were an important part of ''Gairm''.

When ''Gairm'' ceased to publish, a new magazine, ''Gath'' (2003–2008), took its place, followed by ''Steall'', whose first issue was published in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=STEALL 01|url=http://www.clar.online/product/steall-01|website=CLÀR|accessdate=10 July 2017}}</ref>

== Writers == Writers whose work was included in ''Gairm'' include: * Sorley MacLean * Iain Crichton Smith * George Campbell Hay * Christopher Whyte * Dòmhnall Eachann Meek * Dòmhnall MacAmhlaigh * Eilidh Watt * Iain Moireach * Maoilios Caimbeul * Catrìona NicGumaraid * Derick Thomson * Iain MacLeòid * Anna Frater

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/cnmi/inventories/acc9367.pdf Editorial records] * An index of articles in ''Gairm'' can be found on the [http://www.ambaile.org.uk Am Baile] website using their [https://www.ambaile.org.uk/newspaper-index/ newspaper index] search.

Category:1951 establishments in Scotland Category:Scottish Gaelic magazines Category:Magazines established in 1951 Category:Magazines published in Scotland Category:Scottish Gaelic literature Category:Literary magazines published in Scotland Category:Defunct literary magazines published in the United Kingdom Category:2004 disestablishments in Scotland Category:Magazines disestablished in 2004 Category:Quarterly magazines published in the United Kingdom