Monte Hennegin

1923 - 2012

Monte was born in Edinburgh on 30 April 1923, grew up in South Africa, moved to England in 1958 and settled again in Scotland in 1988 in his mid-60s, living in Stewarton.

Monte was an active, cheerful and dynamic member of OurStory Scotland. Stories from his life became woven into our drama collaboration with 7:84 Theatre Company, and in 2004 he opened our drama seXshunned by reading from his poem The Well, on the theme of the first undisguised lesbian novel, Radclyffe Hall's 'The Well of Loneliness' (1928). The poem looks at the coming and going of the Well for an individual facing a more or less hostile society.

A further poem seXshunned at the Arches gives a humorous account of how Monte came to join the theatre production.

Monte's life story was the subject of an oral history interview recorded in 2005 for the OurStory Scotland Collection, which is being archived in the Scottish Life Archive at National Museums Scotland. Extracts from his life story were included in OurStory Scotland exhibitions in Glasgow at the Kelvingrove, the Gallery of Modern Art and St Mungo Museum.

'I think you have to be true to yourself if you can' said Monte, and he followed this principle himself. He was a true character.