William Sharp
William Sharp was a Scottish writer born in 1855 in Paisley, Renfrewshire. He had a diverse background that included education at several institutions, including the University of Glasgow, though he veered from his father's aspirations for him to become a lawyer. Instead, Sharp embraced a nomadic lifestyle, spending time with gypsies in the Scottish Highlands and later traveling to Australia before settling in London. There, he became involved with the pre-Raphaelite movement, notably befriending poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which significantly influenced his literary work.
Sharp is also known for his literary persona, Fiona Macleod, under which he published a range of novels, short stories, and essays focused on Celtic themes. His first book under this pseudonym, "Pharais: A Romance of the Isles," was well received and marked the beginning of a successful literary career that contributed to the Celtic Renaissance. Sharp's writing as Macleod celebrated and revived Celtic culture, emphasizing its rich mythology and history. Despite the eventual revelation of his true identity, Sharp maintained an aura of mystery around his pseudonym, which added to his literary legacy. Today, while much of his work is out of print, his contributions to Celtic literature and culture remain significant.
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William Sharp
Author
- Born: September 12, 1855
- Birthplace: Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
- Died: December 5, 1905
- Place of death: Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Biography
William Sharp was born in 1855 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, the son of businessman David Galbraeth and Katherine Brook Sharp. Although raised in the lowlands of Scotland, he loved the western highlands and spent his school holidays there. He attended Blair Lodge School in Paisley until 1868, Glasgow Academy from 1868 to 1871, and the University of Glasgow from 1871 to 1874.
Although his father hoped he would become a lawyer, Sharp instead joined a group of gypsies and traveled with them throughout the Scottish highlands. He also traveled to Australia after his graduation, eventually settling in London in 1878, supporting himself as a bank clerk while he pursued his writing. In London, he befriended poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti and became greatly influenced by the pre-Raphaelite movement, which is particularly evident in his first collection of poetry, The Human Inheritance (1882). In 1884 he married Amelia Elizabeth Sharp, his first cousin. He traveled extensively during his life, at various times living in Australia; Stuttgart, Germany; and Rome and Sicily, Italy.
In 1894, Sharp began publishing under the female pseudonym Fiona Macleod, although he continued to write poetry and essays under his own name. His first publication as Macleod, the novel Pharais: A Romance of the Isles (1894), was immediately popular and critically well received. Although speculation that Sharp was indeed Macleod began almost immediately, it was not revealed until after his death that the two were, in fact, the same person. Sharp reveled in keeping the controversy alive and perpetrated the mystery whenever possible.
As Macleod, Sharp published three novels, several volumes of short stories, plays, poetry, and articles about Celtic mythology. Unlike the work published under his own name, Macleod’s work is completely Celtic, both mystical and romantic, and he was considered the foremost writer of the rebirth of Celtic culture known as the Celtic Renaissance.
Macleod’s writing was popular and well reviewed in its day, although today it is largely out of print. However, the contribution that Sharp, as Macleod, made to the Celtic culture cannot be overlooked. His books brought Celtic heritage out of obscurity by reconstructing Celtic history, retelling Celtic myths, and celebrating a culture that was in danger of being lost.