Sharp, William

Sharp, William, pseud. Fiona Macleod fēˈnə məkloudˈ, fēōˈnə [key], 1855–1905, Scottish poet and man of letters. Under his own name he wrote literary biographies; poems, including the volume Earth's Voices (1884); and novels, notably Silence Farm (1899). With his wife he compiled the anthology Lyra Celtica (1896). Under the name Fiona Macleod, supposedly a talented Celtic lady, Sharp wrote his best novels and poems, including Pharais (1894), The Mountain Lovers (1895), and The Washer of the Ford (1896), as well as two plays, The House of Usna (1903) and The Immortal Hour (1908). Delicate and romantic, these works treat life in Scotland, evoking a haunting, almost supernatural atmosphere.

See biography by F. Alaya (1970).

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