The successful awards for the Scots Language Publication Grant have recently been announced. Established three years ago by several groups, including the Scots Language Centre, with support and funding from the Scottish Government, the Grant is administered by the Scottish Book Trust on the advice of a panel of Scots language specialists.

This year, ten publications covering several genres have been awarded grants. As well as supporting familiar writers the grants are intended to encourage new talent and so it is refreshing to see a number of less well known names beginning to break through and add their styles and voices to the mix.  Commenting on this, Scottish Government Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said “We have seen how this funding can develop talent while widening accessibility of a variety of genres, with titles both new and old, to the Scots speaking community.” The full list is as follows:

• A Series o Scunnersome Events, Book the First: The Boggin Beginnin (Itchy Coo) by Thomas Clark and illustrated by Brett Helquist
• A Working Class State of Mind (Leamington Books) by Colin Burnett
• Berries Fae Banes (Tippermuir) by Jim Macintosh
• Hard Roads an Cauld Hairst Winds: Li Bai an Du Fu in Scots (Taproot Press) by Brian Holton
• Laird Graham an the Kelpie (Giglets Education) by Jax McGhee
• Norlan Lichts (Rymour Books) by Sheena Blackhall, Sheila Templeton and Lesley Benzie
• Phantom the Ginger Mog (Wee Stoorie Press) by Kirsty Johnson and illustrated by Mandy Sinclair
• The Day It Never Got Dark In Dundee (Rymour Books) by Ian Spring
• The Itchy Coo Book o Aesop’s Fables in Scots (Itchy Coo) by Matthew Fitt and James Robertson, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark
• Wheesht (Foggie Toddle Books) by Susi Briggs and illustrated by William Gorman

If you would like to know more about any of the publications, prices and availability, please contact the individual publishers directly.

An audio version of this story in Scots is available below.