Donald Goodbrand Saunders

Donald Goodbrand Saunders writes lyrical poetry in English and in Scots. His work is inspired by the Scottish landscape and countryside. Some of his poems have been translated into Arabic by the Egyptian poet Mohammed Al Faqui, and a number have been set to music by Sally Beamish. Recently he has diversified into writing song lyrics and musical drama.

In his own words:

I was born in 1949, and spent my early life in Balquhidder, in the Perthshire highlands, before moving down the road to Callander. In 1966 I went to university in Glasgow, and stayed in that city for most of my life since then. I now live in the village of Gartmore, in the Trossachs, with my wife and son.

That's the bare framework of my life — and neither illuminating or relevant. One thing that has been a constant throughout a patchwork career has been poetry. I was lucky to be brought up in a household where poetry was seen, not as a strange or suspect activity, but as something quite normal for people to do and talk about. My father was the poet and editor Crombie Saunders, and his influence and encouragement and that of his literary friends was undoubtedly important. So it seemed natural I would take the first, faltering, steps myself. I've been making poems — mostly in English, some in Scots — since the 60s.

Auden wrote that among the factors that distinguish a major poet from a minor one is that the first must (a) write a lot of poems and (b) demonstrate a continuous development throughout his writing career. Both these criteria place me well in the "minor poet" camp. But I'm not without ambition. If I can leave behind a number of well-made poems (say 100?), then that'll do me.

A Scottish Book Trust Live Literature Event