Lollie Graham

Who is Lollie Graham?

Laurence I. "Lollie" Graham was a Scottish poet and author

Born in Stromfirth in 1924, the family moved to one of the new croft holdings at Veensgarth, Tingwall and he lived there ever since. He had been a part-time crofter most of his life, and active in local politics.

After World War II, Graham studied at the University of Edinburgh and Moray House College, Edinburgh, during which time he was active in literary circles and co-edited a volume of Scottish student verse. He returned to Shetland to take up a teaching post and taught at the Anderson Educational Institute and the Scalloway Junior High School. He was also headmaster at Urafirth Primary School and latterly the long-term and much loved headmaster of Gott Primary School. He contributed the biographical sketches to the important textbook The Shetland Book, edited by Andrew T. Cluness.

Graham provided an introduction and a commentary to Shetland Poetry - a recital in 1950, arranged by himself, his brother John J. Graham, and T. A. Robertson, with assistance from A. T. Cluness in selecting the poems; this volume included a translation into Danish by Martin Melsted of an article by William J. Tait on Shetland language and literature.