A 96-year-old poet affectionately known as the “Bard of Lochwinnoch” is set to celebrate her life in poetry at this weekend’s Paisley Book Festival.
Betty McKellar will perform her work at Paisley Town Hall on Sunday 17th May alongside members of the Lochwinnoch Writers Group, which she helped found.
The event, titled Glidin’ Through Time: Celebrating the Bard of Lochwinnoch, is part of this year’s Paisley Book Festival programme celebrating Renfrewshire writers and Scots language poetry.
Despite becoming widely respected for her writing, Betty only began composing poetry after retiring from a 30-year career in primary school teaching.
The former farmer’s wife and teacher said writing had simply become “a pleasurable experience”.
She said: “I never suddenly think ‘I must write something’ – it’s simply enjoyment, quite honestly.
“It’s just something I like doing and it has been such a pleasurable experience.”
Born in Edinburgh, Betty said her love of words began in childhood through elocution lessons and performing poems to family members.
She said: “I quite enjoyed standing up saying my poems to the family, and that was the start of it really.
“I learned the importance of speaking well and projecting my voice – something I still believe is very important.”
During the Second World War, Betty was evacuated to Selkirk in the Borders, where she first encountered the traditional Border Ballads that would later influence her own writing and use of Scots language.
She said: “I always loved the Border Ballads.
“That was the start of the poems in Scots I suppose.”
After marrying her husband Quintin, a sheep farmer, and raising their family while working as a teacher, Betty said there was little time for creative pursuits.
She added: “As a farmers’ wife and having a family to raise, as well as working as a local primary school teacher, I certainly did not have time for writing or poetry.”
It was only after retirement that she rediscovered her passion for literature after joining a local writing group.
Betty said the Lochwinnoch Writers Group continues to motivate and inspire her.
She said: “It gives me a certain impetus to keep writing because you are expected to have something to read and discuss.
“You meet like-minded people, discuss poetry, and there’s the social aspect of it as well which is important.”
Much of her work draws on her own life experiences, from her childhood in Edinburgh and the Borders to rural life in Lochwinnoch and her years in education.
Her use of Scots language also became an important feature of her writing after encouragement from fellow writers.
Betty said: “I think it was one of the members of the writing group who suggested I had a go at writing in Scots, and I discovered that I could do it – and also quite enjoyed doing it.”
Despite publishing a large body of work over the years, Betty remains modest about her achievements.
She said: “I never thought it would be worth much.
“It’s simply my hobby and it has been such a pleasurable experience.”
Reflecting on her own upbringing, Betty said she felt fortunate to have gained opportunities that were not always available to working-class children at the time.
She said: “I didn’t come from a family of vocationalists, I had a very working-class background.
“I was very fortunate as I came at just a time when working-class children started to have a better chance at accessing opportunities.”
Her years as a teacher also helped shape her belief in preserving Scotland’s literary traditions.
She said: “I did try to get children interested in Scottish poetry.
“I do believe we all ought to have a smattering of it and learn about the poetry of our own country.”
Now, her poems and stories are being passed down through generations of her own family, with grandchildren even using some of her work in school projects.
Betty added: “My poetry is shaped primarily by my own life and experiences.
“I think that’s quite nice, because people like to know where they come from. Children like to know what their grannies and grandpas did.
“Poetry is a way of preserving those stories.”
Paisley Book Festival runs from Thursday 15th May until Saturday 17th May and is organised by leisure and cultural charity OneRen with support from Creative Scotland.
Writers appearing across the festival include Val McDermid, Graeme Armstrong and former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Full details and booking information are available at www.paisleybookfestival.com
Photo: Betty McKellar ahead of her appearance at Paisley Book Festival