{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Morag Henriksen | image = Morag-H-1200x800.jpg | birth_name = Morag MacIver Ross | birth_date = July 1941 | birth_place = Lochcarron, Wester Ross, Scotland | known_for = Author, poet, singer and teacher | notable_works = ''Sing around Scotland'', ''Scenery of Dreams'', ''Tapestry of Scenes'' }} '''Morag Henriksen''' describes herself as a Highlander born and bred. Growing up in Lochcarron, where her father was the headmaster of the local school, she developed a life long love of Gaidhlig culture, folk music, singing, story telling and poetry and this informed her later work as a writer.
== Early life == Morag MacIver Ross was born in Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland in July 1941.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://document-api-images-prod.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docs/QByUi5Eu4WkSoTPWdy6XLLp2fkUUON1YVtK5qS0falk/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3MGZJENO2%2F20181009%2Feu-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20181009T140359Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=FQoGZXIvYXdzEJf%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaDCv%2BooKkBRERVDp1KiK3A6ti7%2BM4WiB4pYNOehcT5Yhn7uCXNzCRxiKg%2B54hTKWxHR0oyoe6NdnVP%2FmkmWXRuZL1b%2FVXlM91VQJaxTE3c2u7mk36%2FD1JA1qdHKNLXfndZtDfVCDb1JtlH10%2Bb6Bsrp3zfF7jzd2c1xfolPBn73y7CpmXHXHzFxg%2BKDhCeOuMXlrc0MzV3jUpT6pcSroRwwjxB3mlOSFp8wUeFiOTejPh6%2B10b%2FiH0dIdt7Kzn%2B%2BdZZOCvXHIhUXWhL3fekWzkwX2JeV640LnuH%2FNwga6iVdnHGlaZ2zVwuHGLLbJQqO7M%2FyhdJ%2BM8u8dRVh6o0qw7vhmWZ4M7LxIWQ%2FM7W2Z2kld9OAkdIgyeD7IxoTZKQSyzhwfpGC5GGqT0g771Lx52VCC5%2Fs0AYckpDCmnP9TKqhzoQYVHFYVgbjfNjNp9ZlMeRw8dQM5gkz0J2aLu%2B6m2VDesdZye2pP9Hc3bsGaRbf1fM%2FDejsaI8%2BMIlP5X9m%2BgFbymWZILLKJKUM39DcHf1W9HzD66wndBY8onM7gc6fdeUijlJgEhpLeXkn%2FDl%2Bsu2npVdMzWgRQNoTst8X3wRow%2BBPL9%2FUorNvy3QU%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=b5e042b2ce18de7e91c7d82d5dcf5c5e0792ed97b722ae307a4d810cdceaa6a0|title=Appointment of Director at Companies House|date=20 October 2016|website=Companies House|access-date=9 October 2018}}</ref><ref name="Morag Henriksen">{{Cite news|url=https://atlasarts.org.uk/artists/morag-henriksen/|title=Morag Henriksen|work=Atlas Arts|access-date=9 October 2018}}</ref> Her father was a strict Free Presbyterian and attended The Free Presbyterian Church in Lochcarron.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|title=Fiction and reality combine in the entrancing 'Scenery of Dreams'|last=Hutchinson|first=Roger|date=17 October 2014|work=West Highland Free Press}}</ref> She studied at the University of Edinburgh and went on to qualify as a teacher at Moray House in 1964.<ref name="Morag Henriksen"/><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title=Long wait for morag's short stories|last=Russel|first=Michael|date=19 September 2014|work=West Highland Free Press}}</ref> Her first teaching position was held at Drumbrae Primary School. She married Harry Henriksen in 1966.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Long wait for Morag's short stories|last=Russel|first=Michael|date=19 September 2014|work=West Highland Free Press}}</ref>
== Career == After their time in Edinburgh, they moved to Portree on the Isle of Skye in 1967.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://atlasarts.org.uk/2017/07/10/coig-sgiathan-five-wings-walk-with-morag-henriksen-scorrybreac/|title=CÒIG SGIATHAN {{!}} FIVE WINGS // Walk with Morag Henriksen – Scorrybreac|work=Atlas Arts|access-date=9 October 2018}}</ref> Morag Henriksen started teaching at Portree High School in 1976 before becoming the head teacher at Uig Primary School, where she taught for ten years.<ref name="Morag Henriksen"/><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|title=Musical teacher's book|date=30 August 1985|work=The Oban Times}}</ref> During her time at Uig Primary School, she was integral in developing shinty in Skye primary schools.<ref name=":0" /> As a primary school teacher in the Isle of Skye in 1985, she was selected to put together a collection of 48 songs from every region of Scotland to form the educational musical resource ''Sing Around Scotland'', produced by Ward Lock Educational. The piano arrangements were by Barrie Carson Turner and illustrations by Harry Henriksen.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Sing around Scotland : songs|date=1985|publisher=Ward Lock Educational|others=Turner, Barrie Carson, 1951-, Henriksen, Morag., Henriksen, Harry.|isbn=0706244818|location=London|oclc=219789979}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> In 1989, she developed ME and retired from teaching in 1994.<ref name=":0" />
== Creative practice == Morag Henriksen performed in the first production by the Uiseag Theatre Group in 1999 at Aros, Portree, Isle of Skye. The play, ''Cuimhneachadh Mairi Mhor'' (Remembering Mairi Mhor) told the story of the famous Skye bard Mairi Mhor nan Oran. Morag Henriksen was the script writer and co-producer along with Sylvia Ladlow. The play was performed again on 20 September 2007 at Aros, Portree, Isle of Skye.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.highland.gov.uk/news/article/1723/moch_s_mi_g_%C3%A8irigh_a_celebration_of_m%C3%A0iri_mh%C3%B2r_nan_%C3%B2ran|title='Moch's mi'g Èirigh …' A celebration of Màiri Mhòr nan Òran |website=www.highland.gov.uk|access-date=20 October 2018}}</ref> The event was part-funded by the National Lottery which provided an award of £3,600.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Full Houuse for Uiseag Theatre Group|date=23 April 1999|work=West Highland Free Press}}</ref>
Henriksen's book ''Scenery of Dreams'' was launched at the Skye Book Festival in 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/islands/inner-hebrides/329722/skye-prepares-for-annual-book-festival/|title=Skye prepares for annual book festival |work=Press and Journal|access-date=19 October 2018}}</ref> The book includes a collection of stories from her early childhood.<ref name=":1" /> Her third book, ''Tapestry of Scenes'', was in the Skye Book Festival in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Telling tales in Portree|last=Russel|first=Michael|date=9 September 2016|work=West Highland Free Press}}</ref>
Henriksen was part of the research for ATLAS Arts' project Ragadawn and participated in the artist Caroline Bergvall's language station at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in 2017, which became part of the final work performed in August 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-oban-times/20180816/282192241824936|title=Ragadawn on roof of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig|work=The Oban Times|date=16 August 2018|access-date=23 October 2019}}<br />- {{Cite news|url=https://atlasarts.org.uk/projects/ragadawn-caroline-bergvall/|title=Ragadawn (An t-Eilean Sgitheanach, 57.5º T) {{!}} Caroline Bergvall|work=Atlas Arts|access-date=19 October 2018}}</ref>
== Publications == === Books === * ''Sing Around Scotland'' (1985) Ward Lock Educational * ''Tapestry of Scenes'' (2016) Adelaide Independent Reporter * ''Scenery of Dreams'' (2014) Adelaide Independent Reporter
== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Henriksen, Morag}} Category:Living people Category:1941 births Category:Scottish women poets Category:People from the Isle of Skye