Orkney

Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands, Isles of Orkney, or the Orkneys) is an island group in northern, situated 10 miles north of the coast of. Orkney comprises over 70 islands; around 20 are inhabited. The largest island, known as the, has an area of 202 , making it the sixth-largest and the ninth-largest island surrounding the island of. The largest settlement and administrative centre is.

Orkney is one of the 32 of Scotland, a  of the, a , and a. The local council is Orkney Islands Council, the only Council in Scotland in which all the elected members are.

Orkney has been inhabited for at least 5,500 years. Originally inhabited by tribes and then by the s, Orkney was invaded and finally annexed by  in 875 and settled by the Norse. It was subsequently annexed to the Scottish Crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry agreement.

Orkney contains some of the oldest and best preserved sites in, and the "" is a designated.

Origin of the name
The name of the islands is first recorded by the ancient geographer (born AD 90, died AD 168), who called them Orcades. The old Gaelic name for the islands was Insi Orc which means the "Island of the Orcs". An orc is a young or. When the Norwegian Vikings arrived on the islands they interpreted the word orc to be orkn which is Old Norse for s or. The suffix ey means island. Thus the name became Orkneyjar which was shortened to Orkney in English.

Prehistory and Iron Age
A charred hazelnut shell, recovered during the excavations at Longhowe in Tankerness in 2007, has been dated to 6820-6660 BC. Apart from this, the earliest known settlement is at, a Neolithic farmstead on the island of. It dates from. The village of, Europe's best preserved settlement, is believed to have been inhabited from around. Other remains from that era include the, the , the  and other standing stones. Many of the Neolithic settlements were abandoned around due to changes in the climate.

The inhabitants were, evidence of whose occupation still exists in "" or underground houses, and "s" or round towers. If, as seems likely, the  established a footing in the islands towards the beginning of the 6th century, their success was short-lived, and the Picts regained power and kept it until dispossessed by the  in the 9th century. In the wake of the Scots, incursionists followed the aries about 565. They were companions of and their efforts to convert the folk to Christianity seem to have impressed the popular imagination, for several islands bear the epithet "Papa" in commemoration of the preachers.

Anglo-Saxon settlement
There is linguistic and documentary evidence that Anglo-Saxons settled in Orkney at least a century before they colonised what is now England, but being a minority group they were ultimately subsumed into the Norwegian population (see below). So among the already rich ethnic heritage of every Orcadian (George Mackay-Brown’s “fine mixter-maxter”) can now be counted a few early English genes. Orcadians are descended from the very earliest English inhabitants of the British Isles.

Norwegian rule


Orkney and saw a significant influx of Norwegian settlers towards the end of the 8th century and first half of the 9th century. This was due to the overpopulation of Norway in comparison to the resources and arable land available there at the time. History once held that the Norwegians largely replaced the original population on the islands, the, though contemporary DNA studies refute this, suggesting instead a slight majority of aboriginal Pictish genes. The nature of the shift in population is the subject of differing theories as little hard evidence remains. These theories range from complete genocide to intermarriage and cultural domination through a gradual majority dominance. According to Dr. Jim Wilson, an Edinburgh scientist with a company named EthnoAncestry, archaeogenetic evidence suggests that "Vikings, who colonised Orkney, did so by eradicating nearly every male member of its Pictish population" (Observer, Dec. 31, 2006).

s having made the islands the headquarters of their ing expeditions (carried out indifferently against their own and the coasts and isles of Scotland),  ("Harald Fair Hair") subdued the rovers in 875 and annexed both Orkney and  to Norway. received Orkney and Shetland as an earldom from the king as reparation for his son being killed in battle in Scotland. Ragnvald gave the earldom on to his brother. followed his father on the throne, but when his half-brother returned to Norway from England Eirik's support disappeared and he fled the country. He was given Nordimbraland as a fief by King  and settled in Jorvik, but was expelled by Athelstan's brother  in 941 because of his raids in Ireland and Brittany. Eirik fled to Orkney and lived there until he was killed in the in England in 954. His sons continued to live on Orkney and challenged Håkon the Good's rule of Norway several times under the leadership of. The sons of Eirik eventually gained control of Norway.

The islands were Christianized by in 995 when he stopped in the islands on his way from Ireland to Norway. The King summoned Sigurd jarl (Earl Sigurd) and ordered him to let himself be baptised in the Christian faith. Sigurd was unwilling, but gave in when the King threatened to kill his son Hvelp. The islands received their own bishop in the early 1000's. From 1153 to 1472 the Kirkjuvåg bishopric was subordinate to the bishop of (today's ).

The of  resulted in the building of  in Kirkwall. The islands remained under the rule of Norse s until 1231, when the line of the jarls became extinct. In that year, the was granted to Magnus, second son of the, whom the  apparently confirmed in the title. Recent studies from the field of population reveal a significant percentage of Norse ethnic heritage — up to one third of the  on the islands are derived from western Norwegian sources, whereas in Shetland over half the male lineage is Norse.

The Norðr-eyjar
Likewise a Norse kingdom, The existed in the British Isles from 1079 till 1266. In 1164 it was split into the Kingdom of the (Sodor) and the.

 (Suðr-eyjar), or the South Isles, was given in contradistinction to Nordr (Norðr-eyjar), or the North Isles, i. e. the and, and it included the , all the smaller  of , and Mann. (ð is pronounced th as in father). (Ref. to Manxnotebook) Even today, the Bishop of the is the Bishop of Sodor and Mann

Scottish rule


In 1468, Orkney and were  by, in his capacity as king of Norway, as security against the payment of the  of his daughter , betrothed to. The cash dowry was never paid, so the islands were forfeited to the. In 1471, James bestowed the castle and lands of, in , on , in exchange for all his rights to the , which, by an of the , passed on , , was annexed to the Scottish.

Modern Orkney
Orkney was the site of a major base at, which played a major role in both  and. After the in 1918, the  was transferred in its entirety to Scapa Flow while a decision was to be made on its future; however, the German sailors opened their sea-cocks and scuttled all the ships. Most ships were salvaged, but the remaining wrecks are now a favoured haunt of recreational divers. One month into, the Royal Navy battleship was sunk by a German  in Scapa Flow. As a result were built to close most of the access channels; these had the additional advantage of creating causeways whereby travellers can go from island to island by road instead of being obliged to rely on boats. The causeways were constructed by Italian prisoners of war, who also constructed the ornate.

The Mainland


The Mainland is the largest island of Orkney. Both of Orkney's s, and, are on this island, which is also the heart of Orkney's transportation system, with  and air connections to the other islands and to the outside world. The island is more densely populated (75% of Orkney's population) than the other islands and has much fertile. The name Mainland is a corruption of the Old Norse 'Meginland'.

Kirkwall lies on a narrow strip of land between West Mainland (the major portion) and East Mainland. The island is mostly low-lying (especially East Mainland), but with coastal s to the north and west and two sizeable s. Mainland contains the remnants of numerous, and  constructions. The Neolithic constructions include two major stone circles; and the ; several cairns, most notably ; and a stone-built settlement.

With two exceptions, the other islands in the group are classified as north or south of the Mainland. The exceptions are the remote islets of and, which lie 60 km west of the archipelago, but officially form part of Orkney.

The North Isles
The northern group of islands is the most extensive and consists of a large number of moderately sized islands, linked to the Mainland by ferries. Most of the islands described as "s" are very small.

Inhabited islands

 * is south of Stronsay and has a population of 5 (2001 census). It has been designated a Special Protection Area due to its importance as a nesting area for Arctic Tern and Storm Petrel.
 * extends to 11 sq miles; it is the 9th largest island. The centre is moorland and the island's main industries have been peat extraction and limestone quarrying. It is connected to the Mainland by ferry (Backaland to Kirkwall) and air.
 * lies east of Rousay. It is largely farmland and is known for its corncrakes, although none have been seen for a number of years, and for the only surviving, but roofless, round-towered church in Orkney. It is connected indirectly with the Mainland by ferry via Wyre and Rousay. St Magnus is said to have been executed on Egilsay.
 * is inhabited by one family, who issue their own postage stamps (permitted due to the lack of a Royal Mail service).
 * lies 4 km north of its nearest neighbour, Sanday. Its climate is changeable and frequently inclement, with the surrounding waters being stormy and treacherous. Of significance are a bird observatory, Britain's tallest land based lighthouse tower and an unusual dry stane dyke along the shoreline built to keep the seaweed eating North Ronaldsay sheep off of the arable land. It is connected to the Mainland by air and ferry.
 * lies north east of Stronsay. A fertile island, it was once an important centre for herring curing, but was abandoned in the 1970s. It is has been home to a Transalpine Redemptorist monastery (called Golgotha monastery) since 1999.
 * , also known as Papay, has a population of 70. Of significance are an RSPB nature reserve (terns and skuas), the Knap of Howar (probably the oldest preserved house in northern Europe), a 12th century recently restored church (St Boniface Kirk) and other neolithic and Viking remains. It is connected to Westray and the Mainland by air and ferry.
 * is the joint 3rd largest (19 sq miles) island about 3 km north of Orkney's Mainland. In the 2001 census, it had a population of 212. Farming, fishing, fish-farming, craft and tourism provide most of the income. There is one circular road round the island, about 14 miles long, and most arable land lies in the few hundred yards between this and the coastline. Seals and otters can be found as can many remains of past occupation.
 * is the largest of the North Isles, with a population of approximately 500. As with most other Orkney islands, farming, fishing and tourism are the main sources of income. Attractions include the 5,000-year-old Quoyness.
 * is the 8th largest island at 12 sq mile. It is connected to the Mainland by ferry (Balfour to Kirkwall). Shapinsay is known for the Iron Age Broch of Burroughston and the Dishan Tower, sea caves and cliffs, and for birds including pintail, wigeon and shovelers, and Balfour Castle.
 * has a population of 343 and is the 7th largest island. Its main village is.
 * has a population of 550 and is the 6th largest island. It is connected by ferry and air to Mainland and Papa Westray.
 * lies south-east of Rousay and has a population of about 18. Cubbie Roo's castle (1150) is possibly the oldest castle in Scotland.

Others
,, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The South Isles
The southern group of islands surrounds. Hoy is the highest of the Orkney Isles, while South Ronaldsay, Burray and Lamb Holm are linked to the Mainland by the. The lie further south, close to the Scottish mainland.

Inhabited islands



 * lies to the east of Scapa Flow and is linked by causesway to Glimps Holm and South Ronaldsay. It is home to the Orkney Fossil Museum and has a population of 357 (2001 census).
 * is known for its large oil terminal and is linked by ferry to Houton across the Scapa Flow on the Mainland, and to Lyness and Longhope on Hoy. During the both World Wars the island was home to a naval base.
 * has a population of around 30. Birds include oystercatchers, ringed plovers, redshank and curlew. it is linked by ferry to Stromness on the Mainland and Moaness on Hoy.
 * with an area of 55 square miles is the second largest island. Significant features are the highest vertical sea-cliffs in the UK, the, the most northerly surviving natural woodland in the British Isles, the most northerly Martello Towers, the highest point in Orkney, the main naval base for Scapa Flow in both World Wars, an unusual rock-cut tomb and an RSPB reserve (skuas and red-throated divers)
 * is linked by causeway to Burray. With an area of 19 sq miles it is the joint third largest island. Of significance are Boys' Ploughing Match, the Tomb of the Eagles (neolithic). It is connected by ferry to the Scottish mainland (Burwick to John o' Groats and St. Margaret's Hope to Gills Bay).
 * has a population of 120 and is sometimes considered to be part of Hoy, to which it is linked by the Ayre. It forms the south side of Longhope harbour.

Others
,, , , , , , (home of the ), , ,

Politics
Orkney is represented in the as part of the , which elects one  (MP) by the  system of election. The current MP is of the.

In the the  constituency elects one  (MSP) by the first past the post system. The current MSP is of the Liberal Democrats. Before McArthur the MSP was, who was previously. Orkney is within the.

consists of 21 members, all of whom are, that is they are not members of a political party.

A political party, the, exists which supports devolution for Orkney from the rest of Scotland. The (a coalition of the Orkney movement and its equivalent for Shetland) stood for election in the, coming in 4th place.

Geography


The is a seaway which separates Orkney from the mainland of Scotland. The firth is 11 km wide between on the island of  and  in.

Orkney lies between 58° 41' and 59° 24' North, and 2° 22' and 3° 26' West, measuring 80 km from northeast to southwest and 47 km from east to west, and covers 973 km². Except for some sharply rising sandstone hills and rugged cliffs on the west of the larger ones, the islands are mainly lowlying.

The hilliest island is ; the highest point in Orkney,, is to be found there. The only other islands containing heights of any importance are the Mainland, with (another) Ward Hill (268 m) and Wideford Hill; and Rousay. Nearly all of the islands possess lochs (lakes): and  on the Mainland attain noteworthy proportions. The rivers are merely streams draining the high land. Excepting on the west fronts of the Mainland, Hoy and Rousay, the coastline of the islands is deeply indented, and the islands themselves are divided from each other by straits generally called "sounds" or "firths". However, off the northeast of Hoy the designation "Bring Deeps" is used. South of the Mainland is and to the southwest of Eday is found the.

The names of the islands indicate their nature: the terminal "a" or "ay" represents the Norse ey, meaning "island". The islets are usually styled "holms" and the isolated rocks "skerries".

The s, or races, or "roosts" (as some of them are called locally, from the ) off many of the isles run with high velocity, and whirlpools are of frequent occurrence, occasionally strong enough to prove a source of danger to small craft.

The islands are notable for the absence of trees, which is partly accounted for by the amount of wind (although the climate in general is temperate). The formation of is evidence that this was not always the case, and deliberate deforestation is believed to have taken place at some stage prior to the, the use of stone in settlements such as  being evidence of the lack of availability of timber for building.

Most of the land is taken up by farms, and agriculture is by far the most important sector of the economy, with fishing also being a major occupation. Orkney exports, , , , and.

Geology


The superficial rock is almost entirely. As in the neighbouring mainland county of, these rocks rest upon the rocks of the eastern s, as may be seen on Mainland, where a narrow strip is exposed between Stromness and Inganess, and again in the small island of Graemsay; they are represented by grey  and.

The upper division of the Old Red Sandstone is found only on Hoy, where it forms the Old Man of Hoy and neighbouring cliffs on the northwest coast. The presents a characteristic section, for it exhibits a thick pile of massive, current-bedded red s resting upon a thin bed of amygdaloidal  near the foot of the pinnacle. This, in its turn, lies unconformably upon steeply inclined flagstones. This bed of rock may be followed northward in the cliffs, and it may be noticed that it thickens considerably in that direction.

The Lower Old Red Sandstone is represented by well-bedded flagstones over most of the islands; in the south of the Mainland these are faulted against an overlying series of massive red s, but a gradual passage from the flagstones to the sandstones may be followed from Westray southeastwards into Eday. A strong synclinal fold traverses Eday and Shapinsay, the axis being North and South. Near Haco's Ness in Shapinsay there is a small exposure of amygdaloidal, which is older than that on Hoy.

Many indications of ice action are found on these islands; striated surfaces are to be seen on the cliffs in Eday and Westray, in Kirkwall Bay and on Stennie Hill in Eday; boulder, with marine shells, and with many boulders of rocks foreign to the islands (, oolitic limestone, , etc), which must have been brought up from the region of Moray Firth, rests upon the old strata in many places. Local s are found in some of the valleys in Mainland and Hoy.

Subdivisions
Orkney is subdivided into 21 or s that have no more administrative significance but are used for statistical purposes :


 * 1) Pickaquoy
 * 2) Berstane and Work
 * 3) Warrenfield
 * 4) Lynnfield
 * 5) Brandyquoy
 * 6) Papdale
 * 7) Scapa and Kirkwall South West
 * 8) Shapinsay and Kirkwall Harbour
 * 9) Stromness North
 * 10) Stromness South, Graemsay and North Hoy
 * 11) Orphir, Walls and Flotta
 * 12) Firth and Sunnybrae
 * 13) Harray and Stenness
 * 14) Evie, Rendall, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre
 * 15) Birsay and Dounby
 * 16) Sandwick and Stromness Landward
 * 17) St Andrew's Deerness and Wideford
 * 18) Holm and Burray
 * 19) South Ronaldsay
 * 20) Sanday, North Ronaldsay and Stronsay
 * 21) Papa Westray, Westray and Eday

Climate
The climate is remarkably temperate and steady for such a northerly latitude. The average temperature for the year is 8 °C (46 °F), for winter 4 °C (39 °F) and for summer 12 °C (54 °F).

The average annual rainfall varies from 850 mm (33 in.) to 940 mm (37 in.). Fogs occur during summer and early autumn, and furious gales may be expected four or five times in the year.

To tourists, one of the fascinations of the islands is their nightless summers. On the longest day, the sun rises at 03:00 and sets at 21:25 (both GMT)&mdash; and darkness is unknown. It is possible to read at midnight and very few stars can be seen in the night sky. Winter, however, is long. On the shortest day the sun rises at 09:10 and sets at 15:17.

The soil generally is a sandy or a strong but friable clay, and very fertile. Large quantities of as well as  and  are available for manure.

Economy
The len trade once promised to reach considerable dimensions, but towards the end of the 18th century was superseded by the (for which  came to be largely grown); and when this in turn collapsed before the products of the mills of,  and ,  was taken up, though only to be killed in due time by the competition of the south. The industry was formerly of at least minor importance.

For several centuries the practically monopolised the  fishery, but when their supremacy was destroyed by the salt duty, the Orcadians failed to seize the opportunity thus presented, and  (died 1805) recorded that in his day the fisheries were almost totally neglected. The industry, however, revived, concentrating on herring, and, but also catching s and s.

In the 17th century, Orcadians formed the overwhelming majority of employees of the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. The harsh climate of the Orkneys and the Orcadian reputation for sobriety made them ideal candidates for the rigours of the Canadian north. Today, many of the people of western Canada trace their history to the Orkneys.

In recent years, the Orkney economy has seen growth in areas other than the traditional agriculture, livestock farming, and fishing. These include tourism; food and beverage manufacture; jewellery, knitwear, and other crafts production; construction; and oil transportation through the oil terminal. Public services also play a significant role.

Orkney has signficant wind, and marine energy resources and has recently come into prominence. The (EMEC) is a new Scottish Executive-backed research facility that has installed a wave testing system at Billia Croo on the Orkney mainland and a tidal power testing station on the nearby island of. At the official opening of the Eday project the site was described as "the first of its kind in the world set up to provide developers of wave and tidal energy devices with a purpose-built performance testing facility.". Funding for the UK's first was announced by the  in 2007. It will be the world's largest, with a capacity of 3 MW generated by four machines at a cost of over £4 million. During 2007 Scottish and Southern Energy plc in conjunction with the began the implementation of a 'Regional Power Zone' in the Orkney archipelago. This ground-breaking scheme (that may be the first of it's kind in the world) involves 'active network management' that will make better use of the existing infrastructure and allow a further 15MW of new 'non-firm generation' output from renewables onto the network.

Air
The main airport in Orkney is, operated by. , a franchise of provides services to the Scottish Mainland (,, , , and ), as well as to  in Shetland.

Within Orkney, the council operates airfields on most of the larger islands including, , , , , and. The shortest scheduled air service in the world, between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray, is scheduled at two minutes duration but can take less than one minute if the wind is in the right direction.

Ferry
Ferries serve both to link Orkney to the rest of Scotland, and also to link together the various islands of the Orkney archipelago. Ferry services operate between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland and Shetland on the following routes:


 * to (operated by )
 * to (operated by Northlink Ferries)
 * to (operated by Northlink Ferries)
 * to (operated by )
 * to on  (seasonal passenger only service, operated by )

Inter-island ferry services connect all the inhabited islands to Orkney Mainland, and are operated by, a company owned by.

Road
There are ideas being discussed to build an undersea tunnel between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland, at a length of about 9-10 miles (15-16 km) or (more likely) one connecting Orkney Mainland to Shapinsay.

Media

 * Press - Orkney is served by two weekly local newspapers, and Orkney Today both published every Thursday.
 * Radio - A local BBC radio station,, the local opt-out of , broadcasts twice daily, with local news and entertainment.

The commercial stations, and  can also be heard on parts of the islands, with poor reception.

granted a community radio licence to The Superstation Orkney in September 2005. The station will start broadcasting in late October 2007.

Heritage


Located in West Mainland is the 'Heart of Neolithic Orkney', a designated. This comprises a group of Neolithic monuments which consist of a large chambered tomb, two ceremonial stone circles (the and the ) and a settlement , together with a number of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites. The group constitutes a major prehistoric cultural landscape which gives a graphic depiction of life in this remote archipelago in the far north of Scotland some 5,000 years ago.

settlers comprehensively occupied Orkney, and the islands became a possession of until being given to  during the  as part of a dowry settlement. Evidence of the Viking presence is widespread, and includes the settlement at the, the vast majority of s, and inscriptions at Maeshowe and other ancient sites.

Language
At the beginning of recorded history the islands were inhabited by the, whose language is unknown. Opinions on the nature of vary from its having been a  language, to its not having been  at all. There were two distinct phases in Pictish culture, which may well have used two different languages, of which the second was a Celtic language, either Old Irish or a close relative. Katherine Forsyth points out that the Ogham script on the is evidence for the pre-Norse existence of  in Orkney.

After the Norse occupation the of Orkney became almost wholly. The Norse language evolved into the local, which lingered until the end of the 18th century, when it finally died out. Norn was replaced by the Orcadian dialect of. This dialect is at a low ebb due to the constant influences of television, education and the large number of incomers. However attempts are being made to revitalise its use by some writers and radio presenters. However, the distinctive sing-song and many dialect words of Norse origin continue to be used. The lingers in the remoter parts of the archipelago. Studies made by and others demonstrate the Norse influence on the  of Orcadian. The Orcadian word most frequently encountered by visitors is "peedie" (peerie in ), meaning small, which may be derived from the "petit".

Orcadians
An Orcadian is a native of Orkney, a term that reflects a strongly held identity with a tradition of understatement.

Although the annexation of the earldom by Scotland in took place over five centuries ago, most Orcadians regard themselves as Orcadians first and  second. (Readers of 's  will remember the frank contempt which Magnus Troil expressed for the Scots).

When an Orcadian speaks of "Scotland", they are talking about the land to the immediate south of the. When an Orcadian speaks of "the mainland", they mean. They are emphatic that, , and the like are traditions from the  and are not a part of the islands' indigenous culture. However, at least two tartans with Orkney connexions have been registered , and there are pipe bands in Orkney.

Native Orcadians refer to the non-native residents of the islands as "Ferry Loupers", a term that has been in use for nearly two centuries at least. This designation is celebrated in the Orkney Trout Fishing Association's "Ferryloupers Trophy", demonstrating that it was originally a non-derogatory appellation although it can be used in a derogatory manner.

Well-known Orcadians
In family name alphabetical order:
 * (1613-1687), bishop first of Moray and afterwards of Galloway
 * (1825-1864), traveller in
 * (1921-1996), poet, author, playwright
 * (1778-1818), author of Self-Control, Discipline and other novels
 * (1887-1976), artist
 * (1898-1981), author
 * (1826-1894), Orcadian
 * (Saint Magnus) (c.1070-c.1117), Earl of Orkney c.1105-1117
 * (1828-1897), mineralogist, author of The Mineralogy of Scotland
 * (1762-1818), author of the History of Scotland from the Union of the Crowns to the Union of the Kingdoms
 * (1780-1868), author of A Residence in Norway, and translator of the Heimskringla, the Icelandic chronicle of the kings of Norway
 * (1812-1897), chairman of the London, Brighton & South Coast railway, and introducer of the system of "parliamentary" trains with fares of one penny a mile
 * (b.1942), journalist, son of Eric Linklater
 * (b.1909), headmaster and Orkney patriot
 * (d.1797), hydrographer
 * (1887-1959), author and poet
 * (1813-1893), explorer
 * (Saint Rognvald) (c.1103-1158), Earl of Orkney 1136-1158
 * , television presenter
 * (1766-1818), Chief Factor at the Hudsons Bay Company
 * (1781-1862), professor of medical at Edinburgh University and editor of the 8th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica
 * (b.1971)winner of in 2003, brother of
 * (1819-1893), lawyer and industrialist
 * Jennifer and Hazel, international folk duo

People associated with Orkney

 * Rev. (1820-1903), 's radical
 * Sir (b.1934), composer and
 * Lt.-Col. George Faulknor Francis Horwood (1838-1897), of Orkney
 * (b.1951), Scottish writer
 * (1913-1993), leader and  for  1950-1983
 * (b.1948), footballer
 * (1899-1974), novelist, playwright, journalist, essayist and poet
 * (b.1951), ultra distance runner
 * (b.1971), writer of novels Jelly Roll, Sweetmeat and Venus as a Boy