The Leaper

Seumas Macdonald is an outsider, not only because helives on an isolated primitive croft, but also because, being the only child in the school to speak Gaelic(apart from his disturbed sister), he is the favourite ofMacCallum the headmaster, which leads to the boybeing bullied in the playground. MacCallum comes in hisboat for ceilidhs with the Macdonald family, to preservethe evocative Gaelic names of birds and flowers, and toteach Seumas to read and write what the headmastercalls 'the language of Eden' which, like the naturalworld, is under threat. The Leaper chronicles Seumas'slate and troubled introduction to sex; revealing howhe finds consolation, companionship and hope in thecompany of a wild creature, in the face of violence anddiscrimination from the community. The novel is alsoabout the loss of the old oral Gaelic tradition and theemergence of a new form of Gaelic culture, literate, butlacking the continuity of the old spoken tales.

Lorn Macintyre is a poet, novelist, short story writer andtelevision scriptwriter. He spent formative years on theIsle of Mull.

'I love The Leaper' - Ros Borland, fi lm-maker.