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Scots Language Publication Grant Awardees 2024

The Scots Language Publication Grant supports Scots publishers and encourages Scots writers.

We are pleased to announce the new titles to be supported by the Scots Language Publication Grant in 2024. The Scots Language Publication Grant provides assistance for publishing new work (including translated texts), reprinting existing historical or culturally significant work, and also effective marketing and promotion of existing and new work.

The Alligrog – Wee Stoorie Press

by Mandy Sinclair & Kirsty Johnson

BBC Sounds in Scots producer, Gill Davies, contacted Wee Stoorie Press in February this year asking us to submit a story and illustration for their schools programming. The theme was the importance of making and having good pals and aimed at Primary school pupils age 5 – 7 years. To their delight, their submission of The Alligrog was accepted and is now available on BBC Sounds in Scots.The story was a combining and reworking of the author, Kirsty Johnson’s, existing trilogy from which, The Alligrog, was ‘hatched’. Illustrator, Mandy Sinclair’s wonderfully imagined illustrations brought the story to vibrant, colourful life. Kirsty and Mandy of Wee Stoorie Press didn’t take long to come to the conclusion that a full colour, picture story book was a must and a completely natural progression for wir Alligrog an aw its craitur freens, baith auld an new.

'Kirsty and Mandy of Wee Stoorie Press are absolutely ower the moon at being one of the awardees of the Scots Language Publication grant, 2024. We wish to sincerely thank the Scottish Book Trust whose help and support now and over the past few years has been invaluable in so many ways. Huge thanks also to the panel of judges for their time and consideration and of course, for selecting our project.' – Wee Stoorie Press

As author and illustrator, to say we are delighted with our award is such an understatement. It is only by virtue of this grant we are now able to look forward to creating and publishing our book, The Alligrog, in Spring 2025. We cannae wait tae be sharin this new yarn an braw picturs wi as mony bairns as we can.' – Mandy Sinclair & Kirsty Johnson

Classic Scots Poems and Sangs for Bairns – Black & White Publishing and Itchy Coo

by various, including Robert Burns, Mary Campbell Smith, Walter Wingate, Gregor Steele, Janet Paisley and more

The book will showcase world-famous works such as ‘To a Mouse’ and ‘Auld Lang Syne’ by Robert Burns alongside time-honoured classics (e.g. ‘The Boy in the Train’ by Mary Campbell Smith, ‘The Sair Finger’ by Walter Wingate, ‘Ye Cannae Shove Yer Granny aff a Bus’) and more contemporary poems and songs by the likes of Gregor Steele and Janet Paisley. The intention is to reconnect Scotland’s greatest poet with the tradition which he declared himself to be part of, not separate from, and to shine a light on that tradition across 250 years to the present day. These poems and songs will introduce children to material that is humorous, thought-provoking and rich in Scots expression, and that deals with everyday human situations and feelings, the natural world and weather, and many other subjects, accompanied by fresh and funny illustrations by Bob Dewar.

'Black & White Publishing and Itchy Coo are delighted to be receiving a grant towards the publication of this new collection of classic poems and songs for children in Scots. The award of this grant is critical to the success of the project and, without it, it is unlikely that we’d be able to publish the book and bring these brilliant works in Scots to a new audience.' – Black & White Publishing and Itchy Coo

'This is a great opportunity to present poetry and song in Scots from across the centuries to today’s young readers. There’ll be plenty of old favourites for reciting on Burns Night or St Andrew’s Day, as well as some modern "classics". And we’re really looking forward to working with one of our favourite illustrators, Bob Dewar, to make the book as bright and bonnie as possible.' – Matthew Fitt & James Robertson

Fower Pessoas – Carcanet

by Colin Bramwell and Fernando Pessoa

Fower Pessoas comprises free translations of the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa into Scots, done by Colin Bramwell. Pessoa is one of the more significant European poets of the last century. Famously he wrote in ‘heteronyms’—characters of his own invention, representing different aspects of an extraordinarily Protean psyche. Bramwell reimagines his subject’s four main personnel as present-day Scots speakers. The propulsive, speechy energy of Pessoa’s project, vacillating as it does between high-literary modes and everyday blethers, matches well with Bramwell’s demotic, lyrical approach to Scots. Translators can often get to a greater position of fidelity with an original poem through departing from its meaning: this irony is at the heart of poetry translation, and Bramwell embraces it fully in Fower Pessoas. By testing Scots against Pessoa’s theme park of modes, styles, ethics and moods, Bramwell demonstrates the wide applicability of Scots as a language into which even the most camsteerie of poets may be translated. Fower Pessoas is a local and temporal update for a poet who speaks to our times, and—most importantly of all—contains poetry that will stir, amuse, provoke and entertain a wide variety of readers.

'Carcanet was one of the first publishers of Pessoa in the UK (1971). We also publish the collected MacDiarmid and our translation list began with Eddie Morgan’s Mayakovsky, Wi the Haill Voice. Colin Bramwell’s Fower Pessoas dazzled us when we read it and we featured selections in our PN Review, a journal long hospitable to Scots. We are thrilled to be able to add Colin Bramwell’s vivid and illuminating versions to our list for worldwide readers of Scots and English. His introduction is itself a wonderful challenge for new readers of Pessoa and of Scots.' – Carcanet

'I am both delighted and hugely grateful to receive support from the Scots Language Publication Grant for Fower Pessoas. This grant will be of great assistance to myself and my publisher, helping promote and distribute the book in Scotland and beyond.' – Colin Bramwell

Hirda da Oorick – Peerie Oorick

by Ann Marie Anderson

Hirda da Oorick goes around his day gathering what he thinks of is treasure, two friends move in (a centipede and a mouse.) They then all go out and gather rubbish from around the coast of where they live, highlighting the dangers of littering and the effects it can have on the landscape and wildlife that live here. This enchanted little book shows teamwork, and a little hard work pays off. Hirda da Oorick celebrates our unique Shetland dialect preserving it for future generations to come.

'Extremely thankful fir dis generous Scots Language Publication Grant. Delighted dat annider Peerie Oorick book will be joinin da idders on peerie bairns bookshelves.' – Peerie Oorick

'Am owre da mön dat al be able ta publish my lang awaited peerie book aboot Hirda da Oorick in Shetland dialect. Wi da Scots Language Publication Grant my dream o gettin da story o Hirda published is becomin reality. I im forever grateful ta you aa.' – Ann Marie Anderson

Horsepower – Doric Books CIC

by Aaron Gale

Horsepower is set in late 90s North-East Scotland. It tells the story of a group of working-class, teenage boys who come across a kelpie while drinking beside a loch. The kelpie presents as a souped-up sports car and tempts the teens (except one "sensible" lad) inside before driving them to the bottom of the loch and their deaths. This story explores the tendency of young men to be disproportionately involved in road traffic accidents and the extent to which this can be attributed to a culture of toxic masculinity. Horsepower is the second instalment in a series of stand-alone stories, written in North-East Scots. The stories in the series are all based on an ancient and established Scottish folklore set in modern times and told in a postmodern style with black comedy at its heart.

'We're fair trickit tae get iss grant. We ken ere's a real need fur iss kine o material, espeecially fur skweels studyin e Scots Language Awards.' – Doric Books

'I canna wait tae bring iss weel kent mythical beast intae e modern age. I've been passionate aboot iss project fur a lang time an it's a dream fur't tae becum a reality.' – Aaron Gale

Sidlaw Breezes and No Sae Lang Syne – Mary Brooksbank Publication Collective

by Mary Brooksbank

Mary Brooksbank (nee Soutar, 1897-1978) was a writer, political activist, singer and tradition bearer. She began work in Dundee’s jute mills in her early teens, where she soon recognised a world ill-divided, and throughout her life remained committed to activism to improve the lives of those in her community. Brooksbank was celebrated widely during the Scottish Folk Revival in the mid-20th century, and after her death became the only woman to feature on the Scottish Parliament’s Canongate Wall with an extract from her ‘Jute Mill Song.’ She was the author of a poetry and song collection, Sidlaw Breezes, and an autobiography, No Sae Lang Syne: A Tale of This City. Brooksbank’s voice is an important one in the Scottish literary and folk traditions, and her autobiography is a unique representation of urban working women’s experience in the 20th century. Despite her songs’ continued importance in the Scots folk tradition, and sustained interest in Brooksbank and her life, both of her books have been out of print and nearly impossible to get hold of for decades. We are a Dundee-based collective who formed in 2023 to help continue Mary Brooksbank’s legacy.

'We’re really happy to have the support of the Scots Language Publication Fund to republish Sidlaw Breezes and No Sae Lang Syne. Mary Brooksbank’s work is very relevant at the moment, and we are excited for people to be able to get to know her writing more deeply or discover it for the first time and be inspired by her.' – Siobhan Tolland, Connor Beaton, Emily Robinson, Ruth Forbes and Erin Farley

This Is What You Get – Rymour Books

by Ian McLachlan

This Is What You Get is a novel in Aberdeenshire Scots telling the story of a young working class man from the North-east who joins the Army. It deals with his experiences, trials and tribulations and eventual coming of age. Written by Ian McLachlan, it's a novel about the Scottish experience in the twentieth century expected to have widespread appeal.

'Once again Rymour Books are delighted to receive a Scots Language Publication Grant. We have championed the Scots language in its various regional dialects over the last five years since our inception. Our books in Scots have taken the form of prose, poetry and song.' – Rymour Books

'The broad Doric spoken by my grandparents seems to fade further with every passing year, so I am delighted that fresh life is breathed into oor mither tongue via the grant, allowing Scots writers to be heard from the page, and to entertain and bring pleasure to readers in Scotland and beyond. I feel truly honoured that funding has been awarded for publication of my novel, This is What You Get, and that I am able to play a part in keeping Scots dialects relevant.' – Ian McLachlan

Uncannie Investigashuns – Maximized Comics

by Neil Slorance, Colin Maxwell

Uncannie Investigashuns is comic buik fir bairns and the young at hert follaein Youtubers Damien Daurke and Jenny Doolie as they traivel Scotland investigatin tales o strange happenins. Thair adventures tak them oan the trail o ghaists, fleein saucers, strange beasties and faeries. It's a lichtherted comedy-adventure that aims tae entertain alang wi educatin readers aboot the geography and histry o Scotland.

'Neil and Colin are delighted to receive the grant that will allow them to collaborate on this comedy-adventure set in Scotland and take their characters to a wider audience all while using the Scots language.' – Maximized Comics

Who's Aldo? (audiobook) – Tippermuir Books

by Colin Burnett

Who's Aldo? is the sequel to the Scots Language Publication Grant-funded A Working Class State of Mind. Now, with a different publisher, Aldo and his author, Colin Burnett, have returned with a thrilling story written entirely in East Coast Scots that will now be made into an audiobook. The audio version will be created using the same narrator/producer, Patrick Wallace, who produced the audiobook for A Working Class State of Mind. Patrick's voice is perfect for the book and he has established himself as the voice of Aldo among the books' fanbase.

'It is thrilling to be once again entrusted with a Scots Language Publication Grant and to be able to make a further contribution to the current Scots Language renaissance. That the book in question is written in East Coast Scots and a working-class voice adds to the thrill.' – Tippermuir Books

'I am so chuffed for Who's Aldo? to have received this support. It gives myself and my publisher Tippermuir Books a wonderful opportunity to produce an audiobook version of the novel. Something that would have been very difficult to accomplish without the support we've receive through the award.' – Colin Burnett

The Tale o how Evan Evans Scrapped wi Evan Nichols and Tendencies – Leamington Books

by Richard Munro and Jo Higgs

Leamington Books is pleased to publishing two new bespoke pamphlet. The Tale o how Evan Evans Scrapped wi Evan Nichols is an essay from Jo Higgs, a previous winner of the Sloan Prize for Prose of Verse Composition in Lowland Scots; Tendencies is a bespoke pamphlet with new poetry in Scots from Richard Munro, Scots writer and performer.

'We are delighted to be able to continue to publish in Scots by means of this grant. Thank you to the Scots Publication Grant for this valuable support.' – Leamington Books

'It's exciting to receive this grant as the work being done to promote Scots as a language (and all the different divisions of Scots within it) means a lot, especially as someone who is, as of recently, living outwith Scotland for the first time in my life. As a writer, having my work published is the most rewarding experience, and having the backing of the Scots Publication Grant only adds to that feeling.' – Jo Higgs

'For far too long I’ve been wary about writing LGBT-themed poetry, gearing everything to please mostly heterosexual audiences. It’s now time to expose my work to both lgbt and straight audiences alike. Being awarded the grant allows me to publish and sell a unique set of lgbt themed poems; gives me permission to come out of the poetry closet at last and illuminate my lived experiences growing up as a gay man.' – Richard Munro

About the Scots Language Publication Grant

The Scots Language Publication Grant is administrated by The Scots Language Resource Network, which meets twice a year to discuss the coordination and publication of new and existing resources (online and in print) that support speakers, readers, writers, teachers, learners and students of Scots. It currently includes representatives from the following organisations: ASLS

The publication grant is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Scottish Book Trust.