Roald Dahl gets the Gaelic treatment for schools

Copies of the author’s  famous novels – Danny, The Champion Of The World (Dànaidh Laoch An T-Saoghail) and The Magic Finger (A Chorrag Chrosta) – have just been published in Gaelic as part of a £500,000 project and sent to 60 primary and 35 secondary schools in Scotland.

Storlann, the Government agency set up to  support Gaelic education nationally, initiated the  innovative project.

Chief executive Donald Morrison said: “They are being eagerly anticipated by the children. We have tried them out with teachers and their response has been absolutely brilliant.”

“It has been an interesting project, particularly when translating some of Dahl’s unusual words into new Gaelic words,” he added. “We have also been able to keep in the sketches of the original books done by Quentin Blake, which will be great for the children.”

Renowned contemporary Gaelic poet and writer Aonghas MacNeacail – or Angus Nicolson – known as Black Angus, said: “I hugely welcome this development. Translating from popular writers can only be a  good thing and encourage children to read.

“Good money is being  invested to bring popular fiction into the Gaelic world. I would, however, also like to see it done the other way and bring good Gaelic writing into the  English language.”