Derick Thomson

Who was Derick Thomson?

Professor Derick S. Thomson MA, BA, Dlitt, FRSE, FBA, known as Ruaraidh MacThòmais in his native Scottish Gaelic, was a Scottish poet, publisher, lexicographer, academic and writer. He was originally from Lewis, but spent much of his life in Glasgow, where he was Professor of Celtic at the University of Glasgow from 1963 to 1991. He is best known for setting up the publishing house, Gairm, along with its magazine, which was the longest-running periodical ever entirely in Scottish Gaelic, running for over fifty years under his editorship. Gairm has since ceased, and has been replaced by Gath. He was an Honorary President of the Scottish Poetry Library, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the British Academy. In June 2007, he received an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow.