In
1975, MacLaverty and his family moved to Scotland to escape
an increasingly violent Belfast. Scotland and Ireland were
once joined by a land bridge, and MacLaverty and his work
have fitted well into the Scottish literary scene. Perhaps
the familiar whiff of sectarianism in the Scottish air has
warded off homesickness...
MacLaverty taught in Edinburgh for three years before taking
up another teaching post on the isolated Isle of Islay, off
the west coast of Scotland. During this period, he finished
his first two novels - Lamb and Cal. Both novels were later
turned into successful films.
In 1981, he gave up teaching to become a full-time writer
- a risky move for a man with a young family of four to support.
After eight years on Islay, MacLaverty and his family moved
to Glasgow.
Introduction
