Gary Quinn
Gary Quinn is a Deaf poet who composes and performs his work in British Sign Language (BSL). He is also an academic linguist, working as Assistant Professor in British Sign Language at Heriot-Watt University, where he has been based since 2006, researching sign language variation and the structure of BSL.
Quinn’s poem The stars are the map I unfurl was created with the Scottish Poetry Library’s then artist in residence, Kyra Pollitt, with support from Creative Scotland. The piece celebrates Gerry Hughes, the first Deaf sailor to complete a solo circumnavigation of the globe via the Five Great Capes, charting the voyage’s hope, isolation and homecoming. Alongside Quinn’s own English version of the poem, the Shetlandic poet Christine De Luca created a specially written response in Shetlandic, Da starns is da map I unrowl.
Quinn has performed and shared his poetry at events across Scotland, including readings at the Scottish Poetry Library and BSL/English poetry performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, contributing to a small but growing body of signed poetry being made and shown in Scotland.