Willy Maley
Encyclopedia
William Timothy "Willy" Maley (born 2 December 1960, Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish
literary critic, editor, teacher and writer.
Maley is Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Glasgow
, Fellow of the English Association (FEA), and founder, with the late Philip Hobsbaum
, of Glasgow's Creative Writing programme. He is a prolific author on subjects including early modern English literature from Spenser to Milton, and on modern Scottish. and Irish writing.
, Glasgow
. Maley's father, James Maley
, was a former Communist Party
member and veteran of the Spanish Civil War
, who borrowed books weekly from Gilmorehill Book Exchange and other sources. Maley grew up in a modest family home, one where there were no limits on what was read, from American Pulp to the collected works of Marx and Lenin, from Enid Blyton
to Joseph Stalin
, and the classics in-between.
, and Glasgow City Libraries before gaining through night classes the qualifications to start at the University of Strathclyde
in 1981. He went there initially to study librarianship but failed, resigned from the libraries, and continued with his studies in English Literature and Politics. Maley graduated from Strathclyde with First Class Honours with Distinction, winning the Meston Prize for top degree result in academic year.
In October 1985, after a summer working at the British Film Institute
in London
, Maley went to Jesus College, Cambridge
, earning a Ph.D for his thesis, Marx and Spenser: Elizabeth and the Problem of Imperial Power, which was later renamed Edmund Spenser and Cultural Identity in Early Modern Ireland. In 1990 Maley also completed a Diploma in Linguistics for the Teaching of English Language and Literature at the University of Strathclyde
.
, as well as the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen, the Magnum Centre in Irvine and most of Glasgow's main theatres, including The Arches, The Old Athenaeum, The Pavilion, and The Tron. Maley's theatre credits include:
From 1992-94, Willy Maley worked as a Lecturer at the University of London
(at Goldsmiths and Queen Mary respectively). In 1994 he moved to Glasgow University, where he was founder in 1995, with Philip Hobsbaum
, of the Creative Writing Master’s program. In 1997 he published three books on literary criticism and the following year and edited the Blackwell
Companion to Renaissance Writing, and published a compilation of essays on James Kelman
. Maley was promoted to Reader in 1998, and to Professor in 1999. To the question of how he went from drawing income support in Possilpark in 1991 to Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Glasgow in eight years, Maley replied: "You mean, What took me so long? I was busy."
Willy Maley has taught at Dartmouth College
and the University of Sunderland
. He was the first recipient of the Gerard Manley Hopkins
Visiting Professorship at John Carroll University
in Cleveland (1998).
In 2003, Maley was presented with the Lifting Up the World Award by Sri Chinmoy
at a ceremony at Edinburgh University. During seasons 2003-04, and 2004—5, Maley was a columnist for the Celtic View, the official magazine of Celtic Football Club, which he has supported since childhood. Maley has also worked extensively–but not expensively–in radio, television and film since 1985, when he was credited as Assistant Production Accountant on Derek Jarman
’s film, Caravaggio.
Maley's poem, "On My Father’s Refusal to Renew his Subscription to The Beijing Review", first published in PN Review in 2006, was selected by Alan Spence
and the Scottish Poetry Library as one of the Best Scottish Poems 2007.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
literary critic, editor, teacher and writer.
Maley is Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, Fellow of the English Association (FEA), and founder, with the late Philip Hobsbaum
Philip Hobsbaum
Philip Dennis Hobsbaum was a British teacher, poet and critic.-Life:Hobsbaum was born into a Polish Jewish family in London, and brought up in Bradford, in Yorkshire. He read English at Downing College, Cambridge, where he was taught and heavily influenced by F. R. Leavis...
, of Glasgow's Creative Writing programme. He is a prolific author on subjects including early modern English literature from Spenser to Milton, and on modern Scottish. and Irish writing.
Biography
Willy Maley is the seventh of nine children, and the first in his family to go to University. He was raised in the district of PossilparkPossilpark
Possilpark is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow, situated north of the River Clyde. Following the closure of the Saracen Foundry in 1967, this section of Glasgow has become one of the poorest in the United Kingdom, with an above average crime rate....
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Maley's father, James Maley
James Maley
James Maley was a Scottish Communist, political activist, Spanish Civil War combatant and World War II veteran.-Early years:...
, was a former Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
member and veteran of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, who borrowed books weekly from Gilmorehill Book Exchange and other sources. Maley grew up in a modest family home, one where there were no limits on what was read, from American Pulp to the collected works of Marx and Lenin, from Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
to Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, and the classics in-between.
Education
Maley left Possilpark Secondary in 1978 and worked for 3 years, for Strathclyde Regional Council's Roads Department, the Royal Bank of ScotlandRoyal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
, and Glasgow City Libraries before gaining through night classes the qualifications to start at the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
in 1981. He went there initially to study librarianship but failed, resigned from the libraries, and continued with his studies in English Literature and Politics. Maley graduated from Strathclyde with First Class Honours with Distinction, winning the Meston Prize for top degree result in academic year.
In October 1985, after a summer working at the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Maley went to Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, earning a Ph.D for his thesis, Marx and Spenser: Elizabeth and the Problem of Imperial Power, which was later renamed Edmund Spenser and Cultural Identity in Early Modern Ireland. In 1990 Maley also completed a Diploma in Linguistics for the Teaching of English Language and Literature at the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
.
Career
Between 1989 and 1995 Maley had eight plays performed at Glasgow's Mayfest and at the Edinburgh FringeEdinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
, as well as the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen, the Magnum Centre in Irvine and most of Glasgow's main theatres, including The Arches, The Old Athenaeum, The Pavilion, and The Tron. Maley's theatre credits include:
- From The Calton to Catalonia (1990), a dramatized account of his father’s experiences as a POW during the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, co-written with his brother, John Maley. - No Mean Fighter (1992), a unique collaboration between students at the RSAMD and inmates at Barlinnie Special Unit, which won a Scotsman Fringe First at the Edinburgh FestivalEdinburgh FestivalThe Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
. - The Lions of Lisbon (1992), the story of Celtic's 1967 European Cup victory, co-written with Iain Auld,
From 1992-94, Willy Maley worked as a Lecturer at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(at Goldsmiths and Queen Mary respectively). In 1994 he moved to Glasgow University, where he was founder in 1995, with Philip Hobsbaum
Philip Hobsbaum
Philip Dennis Hobsbaum was a British teacher, poet and critic.-Life:Hobsbaum was born into a Polish Jewish family in London, and brought up in Bradford, in Yorkshire. He read English at Downing College, Cambridge, where he was taught and heavily influenced by F. R. Leavis...
, of the Creative Writing Master’s program. In 1997 he published three books on literary criticism and the following year and edited the Blackwell
Blackwell Publishing
Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons. It was formed by the merger of John Wiley's Global Scientific, Technical, and Medical business with Blackwell Publishing, after Wiley took over Blackwell Publishing in...
Companion to Renaissance Writing, and published a compilation of essays on James Kelman
James Kelman
James Kelman is an influential writer of novels, short stories, plays and political essays. His novel A Disaffection was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 1989...
. Maley was promoted to Reader in 1998, and to Professor in 1999. To the question of how he went from drawing income support in Possilpark in 1991 to Professor of Renaissance Studies at the University of Glasgow in eight years, Maley replied: "You mean, What took me so long? I was busy."
Willy Maley has taught at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and the University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
. He was the first recipient of the Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J. was an English poet, Roman Catholic convert, and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous 20th-century fame established him among the leading Victorian poets...
Visiting Professorship at John Carroll University
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
in Cleveland (1998).
In 2003, Maley was presented with the Lifting Up the World Award by Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, also known as Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher, poet, artist and athlete who immigrated to the U.S. in 1964., the founder of the religious organization "Sri Chinmoy Centre Church, Inc." better known as "Sri Chinmoy Centre"...
at a ceremony at Edinburgh University. During seasons 2003-04, and 2004—5, Maley was a columnist for the Celtic View, the official magazine of Celtic Football Club, which he has supported since childhood. Maley has also worked extensively–but not expensively–in radio, television and film since 1985, when he was credited as Assistant Production Accountant on Derek Jarman
Derek Jarman
Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman was an English film director, stage designer, diarist, artist, gardener and author.-Life:...
’s film, Caravaggio.
Maley's poem, "On My Father’s Refusal to Renew his Subscription to The Beijing Review", first published in PN Review in 2006, was selected by Alan Spence
Alan Spence
Alan Spence is a Scottish writer and is Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen, where he is also artistic director of the annual WORD Festival...
and the Scottish Poetry Library as one of the Best Scottish Poems 2007.
Publications
- Representing Ireland: Literature and the Origins of Conflict, 1534-1660 (1993) (co-edited with Brendan Bradshaw and Andrew Hadfield)
- A Spenser Chronology (1994)
- Postcolonial Criticism (1997) (co-edited with Bart Moore-Gilbert and Gareth Stanton)
- Salvaging Spenser: Colonialism, Culture and Identity (1997)
- A View of the Present State of Ireland: From the First Published Edition (1997) (co-edited with Andrew Hadfield)
- Irish Studies and Postcolonial Theory, special issue of Irish Studies Review 7, 2 (1999) (co-editor, with Colin Graham)
- Kelman and Commitment, a special issue of the Edinburgh Review 108 (2001) (co-editor, with Ellen-Raïssa Jackson)
- Nation, State and Empire in English Renaissance Literature: Shakespeare to Milton (2003)
- British Identities and English Renaissance Literature (2002) (co-edited with David J. Baker)
- Shakespeare and Scotland (2004) (co-edited with Andrew Murphy)
- Class, a special issue of Drouth 18 (2005) (Guest Editor)
- 100 Best Scottish Books (2005) (co-edited with Brian Donaldson)
- Spheres of Influence: Intellectual and Cultural Publics from Shakespeare to Habermas (2006) (co-edited with Alex Benchimol)