Seachdain na Gàidhlig returns across the world this February, but in Edinburgh (the city that gave rise to this annual festival of Gaelic culture), poet-academic Robbie MacLeòid will uncover some of the most marginalised voices within a minoritised literature. Leading a creative writing workshop at the National Library Of Scotland, MacLeòid is adamant that ‘there has always been queer Gaelic writing’.

The session will be a valuable reminder, to LGBTQ+ folk and allies alike, that the Gaels are among them too. ‘There is much common ground: questions of legal status and recognition; scarcity of funding; economic impacts such as the closure of community spaces,’ says MacLeòid. The event is as much about reclaiming space as it is about being heard. ‘Often, I think the biggest barrier in Queer Gaelic arts is just unintentional ignorance: “oh, I didn’t know Gaelic had that.” The Queer history of Scotland is incomplete if Gaelic is not part of it and solidarity in Queer Scotland is undermined if Gaelic queerness is left out of the conversation.’ Participants at the workshop will encounter key voices in LGBTQ+ Gaelic literature, using texts and contexts to facilitate their own creativity. The session is open to everyone, says MacLeòid. ‘Gaelic speakers and learners are very welcome, but so too are enthusiasts just wanting to know about the topic, whether from an interest in Gaelic or in queerness.’

Creative Writing: Uncovering Queer Gaelic Voices is on at National Library Of Scotland, Edinburgh, Wednesday 26 February; main picture: Kat Gollock.