Liz Lochhead becomes Scotland's national poet

SHE is already widely regarded as one of Scotland's best-known living writers.

• Poet Liz Lochhead was announced as the new Makar, Scotland's new National Poet, at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh

Now Liz Lochhead has agreed to take on the mantle of Scotland's national poet, following the death of the only previous "Makar", Edwin Morgan, last year.

Her first declaration after being unveiled by First Minister Alex Salmond was to insist she was undeserving of the title, which was created for Morgan seven years ago.

The 63-year-old, who famously performed a poem specially written by Morgan at the opening of the Scottish Parliament building, will relinquish her role as Glasgow's Makar to take up her new post, which she will hold for five years.

The former art teacher, who was born in Motherwell, published her first poetry collection in 1972 and made her first foray into drama writing six years later.

She is arguably equally well known for her work as a playwright than as a poet thanks to stage successes such as Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, Perfect Days and her adaptation of Medea.

Lochhead has also worked as a translator and broadcaster, mainly in radio.

She has been appointed as national Makar in time to help unveil the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Ayrshire tomorrow.

Lochhead, who was approached last week over the post by Mr Salmond, has pledged to pen a new body of poetry and make as many public appearances as possible in the role, which will see her paid 10,000 a year by the Scottish Government.

A key part of her appointment will be to encourage more young people to develop an interest in poetry and she vowed to try to make it more than something pupils simply studied for exams.

• Liz Lochhead: What she read.....

• Analysis: Lochhead skilfully manages to be both an accessible as well as an enigmatic poet

A book of the new Makar's works will be published at the end of Lochhead's tenure, while she will be given extra funding to attend major literary festivals at home and abroad.

Lochhead, who has been Glasgow's Makar since 2005, said: "I am as delighted as I am surprised by this enormous honour. I accept it on behalf of poetry itself, which is, and always has been, the core of our culture, and in grateful recognition of the truth that poetry - the reading of it, the writing of it, the saying it out loud, the learning of it off by heart - all of this matters deeply to ordinary Scottish people everywhere.

"I only found out about this four of five days ago when I got a call at home to tell me to expect a call from the First Minister. I couldn't turn it down, although I don't feel I am deserving of it and no-one can follow in Edwin's footsteps."

Lochhead, who lives in Glasgow, was chosen after five recommendations were put forward by a panel representing the likes of the Scottish Poetry Library, the Literature Forum for Scotland and the Association for Scottish Literary Studies.

Mr Salmond said: "Ms Lochhead embodies everything a nation would want from its national poet."

Robyn Marsack, director of the Scottish Poetry Library, said: "Liz will be a wonderful ambassador for poetry. She has a great sense of the tradition of poetry in Scotland."