Motion S3M-07590: Alasdair Allan, Western Isles, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 13/12/2010

Tobar an Dualchais

That the Parliament pays tribute to all those involved in creating Tobar an Dualchais, Kist o Riches, the website officially launched on Thursday 9 December 2010 and available at www.tobarandualchais.co.uk; recognises what it considers to be the enormous work done to bring together in one acceptable digitized format the important collections of music, poetry and stories in Gaelic, Scots and English from the School of Scottish Studies, the John Lorne Campbell of Canna collection and the BBC Scotland archives, and believes that this will be an important resources for future generations, not just for scholars, but for the whole community of Scotland in promoting a fuller understanding of Scotland’s musical heritage and folk history.

Motion S3M-07527: Rob Gibson, Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 01/12/2010

Celebrate Scotland's Songs Resource

That the Parliament welcomes the creation and launch of the Scotland’s Songs learning resources on the Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) website, which makes a large collection of 130 Scots and Gaelic songs and tunes from across the nation, including full lyrics and musical notation, freely available to all Scottish classrooms; further notes that Scotland’s Songs allow for teachers to easily incorporate Scottish musical education into their teaching practice, which further supports the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence, and encourages and supports all of the schools in Scotland to include Scotland’s Songs as a key part of all students’ educational experience at all levels.

Motion S3M-06849: Bill Wilson, West of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 20/08/2010

National Poet Edwin Morgan

That the Parliament is saddened to hear of the passing of Scotland’s National Poet, Edwin Morgan; recognises his reputation as one of the leading poets of the twentieth century; believes that his huge catalogue of work embodies the spirit of the makars of old; notes that he was named Scots Makar in 2004, and is confident that his work and standing will long be acknowledged the world over.

Motion S3M-06853: Robert Brown, Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 20/08/2010

Edwin Morgan, Scotland’s National Poet

That the Parliament notes with sadness the death of Scotland’s national poet, the Scots Makar and Glasgow’s first poet laureate this week at the age of 90 in his care home in Glasgow; notes that Edwin Morgan is regarded as one of the greatest and influential poets of our time, known for his differing, experimental and wide-ranging styles, his love poetry and his work as a translator of poetry, as a teacher and as a playwright; notes that Morgan was born in the west end of Glasgow then brought up in Rutherglen, which inspired his first published piece, The Cathkin Braes, in 1952, and went on to teach in the University of Glasgow, and believes that Glasgow and Scotland have sadly lost an artist of irreplaceable literary brilliance.

Motion S3M-06839: Iain Smith, North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 19/08/2010

Edwin George Morgan OBE

That the Parliament notes with sadness the passing of Edwin Morgan; acknowledges his enormous contribution to the canon of Scottish literature; expresses special gratitude for his services as Scots Makar and as Poet Laureate of Glasgow, and gives thanks for his long life.

Motion S3M-06146: Bill Wilson, West of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 14/04/2010

The Passing of Kenneth McKellar

That the Parliament notes with sadness the death of renowned Paisley-born singer Kenneth McKellar; recognises his championing of Scottish culture and the Scots language and his love of the great outdoors, manifested not only by the lyrics of the songs that he sang, such as Westering Home, but also by his environmental work helping to restore Scotland’s forested regions, and acknowledges the fond memory in which he will be held by people in Scotland and around the world.

Motion S3M-06091: Aileen Campbell, South of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 30/03/2010

Brownsbank Fellowship

That the Parliament notes with concern the decision by South Lanarkshire Council to withdraw its funding for the Brownsbank Writing Fellowship, a position aimed at promoting creative writing throughout the local authority area and which has helped maintain Brownsbank Cottage, near Biggar, in the South of Scotland region, the final home of Scots makar Hugh McDairmid, as a centre of literary activity; notes that withdrawal of funding will result in withdrawal of match funding from the Scottish Arts Council and lead to the end of the fellowship; believes that since its inception in 1993, the six Brownsbank fellows to have held the post have helped improve literacy and appreciation of Scottish literature in South Lanarkshire and beyond, and hopes that a way can be found to help the Biggar Museum Trust, which administers the fellowship, to continue supporting this important position.

Motion S3M-05805: Bill Kidd, Glasgow, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 23/02/2010

Scottish Academy of Literature

That the Parliament notes the publication of the report of the Literature Working Group, which proposes the creation of a Scottish academy of literature to foster and expand the literary culture of Scotland, shining a light on both authors of the past and those yet to come; welcomes the group’s other recommendations such as the establishment of a Gaelic literary magazine, encouraging publishers to publish works in Scots and the setting up of a government body to report on public libraries; agrees with the group that the creation of a Scottish academy of literature is long overdue given that Scotland is the birthplace of UNESCO’s first city of literature and that the Royal Scottish Academy was formed in 1826 and the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1723, and believes that, coupled with other initiatives that celebrate literature, such as the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Glasgow's Aye Write festival in March 2010, these recommendations can be successful in ensuring a bright future for Scottish literature.