Brian Holton (born 11 July 1949) is the translator of Chinese "Misty" poet Yang Lian.
Holton was born in Galashiels, Selkirkshire, Scotland, but spent his early years from 1949-1955 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Holton was educated in Scotland, at Larbert High School and Galashiels Academy, studying for Highers in Latin, Greek, French and English.
From 1978-85 Holton was based in the Scottish Borders, working in jobs including at the Ettrick & Lauderdale Museum Service from 1982-85 as a Documentation Supervisor: cataloguing, indexing, copy editing, print buying, conceiving and mounting exhibitions, and carrying out general curatorial work.
From 1980-81 Holton worked for the Borders Regional Council, surveying and photographing buildings of architectural or historic importance, and in 1979-80 writing guidebooks and other tourist literature.
He taught at the Civil Service College, Sunningdale, Berkshire from 1991-2 as a Consultant Tutor providing management training.
Holton is married to Guo Ying (郭莹), an author of popular Chinese travel books.
and Yang, Lian eds (forthcoming 2010/11) Anthology of Contemporary Chinese Poetry (working title) Tarset: Bloodaxe Books.
Excerpts used by composer Liza Lim as the libretto of a piece for soprano and guqin commissioned by Festival d'Automne à Paris, 2005.
Blackford, Perthshire, Hairst 2005 With Harvey Holton: Yang Lian (2005) Whaur the Deep Sea Devauls.
Mossflow (article about and extract from my Scots version of Shuihu Zhuan – Water Margin) at http://vladivostok.com/Speaking_In_Tongues/mossflow.html (May 1998) "On Luve" by Qiao Jifu: Edinburgh Review No, 99, Edinburgh (March 1998) "Sangs": versions of Shi Jing poems, in Finlay, A., ed., Carmichael's Book, a homage to Alexander Carmichael's 'Carmina Gaedelica’, Artbook and Morning Star: Inverness and Edinburgh (1997) Yang Lian "Whaur the Deep Sea Devauls" Gairfish, Newcastle (1997) Poems by Li Bo, Tao Qian, etc.
Yarrow: Weproductions (1994) Poems by Qiao Jifu and Ma Zhiyuan: Chapman 73, Edinburgh (1993) "Men o the Mossflow" (Shuihu Zhuan) cap.
13 (1983), ISSN 0264-0856 Shen Jiji "The Cod" (Zhen-zhong Ji) Lallans 18, Edinburgh (1982) "Men o the Mossflow" cap.
(2002; CD 2005) see https://web.archive.org/web/20091208161124/http://www.lallans.co.uk/sscd%20135%20-%20The%20Mossflow%20-%20Brian%20Holton.html Nine Sangs and Mossflow selected for the Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, University of Glasgow.
p431-435 "老外侃中國": 鏡報月刊 August 2007 p92-93 ["A Foreigner Chats about China" Mirror Monthly] "Driving to the Harbour of Heaven: Translating Yang Lian’s Concentric Circles" in Li Dingjun, ed.
Blackford, Perthshire, Hairst 2005 (in Scots) "Driving to the Harbour of Heaven: Translating Yang Lian’s Concentric Circles" in BH, with Agnes Hung-Chong Chan: Yang Lian Concentric Circles Tarset: Bloodaxe Books, (2005) "Wale A Leid An Wale A Warld: Shuihu Zhuan into Scots", in Findlay, W., ed., Frae Ither Tongues: Essays on Translations Into Scots, Cleveden, Buffalo, Toronto, Sydney: Multilingual Matters (2004).
(2003) A Birthday Book for Brother Stone Hong Kong: Chinese University Press "Translating Transgression" in Yang Lian tr.
Holton, Brian Notes of a Blissful Ghost: Selected Poems by Yang Lian (HK: Renditions Paperback; 2002).
London: WellSweep Press (1994) "A Solemn Joyousness: Death and Dying in the Tibetan Tradition": in Kaim-Caudle, P., Keithley.
11, New Year 1983, p. 43, ISSN 0264-0856 (17 short works on Scottish Borders history and topography, 1979–86) "O Niver ti Dree Corruption Mair" in Lallans 71, Blackford, Perthshire, 2008 poetry "Chemistry" at https://web.archive.org/web/20110712230923/http://www.humangenreproject.com/page.php?id=69 uploaded August 2009 Traditional music of Scotland, Ireland and Northumberland, played on the (whistle, Scottish smallpipes, lap dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, and vocals) 2002-04 Hong Kong Ceilidh Band/New Atlantic Bridge 1985-88 Kelts Wells 1975-77 Blackcock Spinney 1973–present Solo performances of Scottish traditional music and song.